Tearing the Heavens
by Cepel
Summary: A young warrior from a once great family is thrust into the future and ends up in an unfamiliar and bizarre world. He must learn to cope with this strange new world and see just how misplaced he really is. He sets off in a journey to discover his own self and where he stands in a world that isn't his own.
1. Blazing Horrors

**Criticisms welcome. There WILL be blood and mild swearing. First chapter will be in first person, the rest will not. If you dislike darkness, this may not be the story for you.**

* * *

Shouting. Screaming. Roaring.

Those sounds filled the air as I ran across the battlefield. Creatures and men falling all around me like flies. The dust and dirt stung my eyes and clung to my skin like a sticky veil, my leather damp and soaked from sweat and blood.

My lungs burned as I ran, men falling to arrows dipped in a deadly toxic ariados extract, their muscles clenching as the poison coursed through their veins. My legs felt like they would fail me, but I kept running, intent on making it to safety. We had been ambushed and vastly outnumbered. The army scattered in different directions as scores of arrows rained down from the sky, turning the sky black , as arcs of flame and lightning scorched skin and charred bones.

Everything was madness.

The blood never seemed to stop flowing, the once orange soil was now stained a dark red color. On top of it lay soldier after soldier, along with all the fallen creatures under their command.

The few of us that remained ran for our lives, our enemies in hot pursuit. Dodging flamethrowers, lightning bolts, and hyper beams, we managed to enter a small forest. The forest was a shadow of what it once was, devastated by fire and war it once was home to thousands of creatures and trees who bore fruit that could cure a vast array of ailments. Now the life it once boasted was dead and ash.

The hounds, arcanine as they were known, were swift and were gaining ground on us. Glancing back I saw my comrades and friends being engulfed in flames and bitten with fire infused fangs. Their skin sliding off their body like wax on a candle as the fire passed over their mortal flesh. It was a horrible sight and the smell of burning bodies was grotesque and repulsive, nearly compelling me to puke.

The acid in my muscles pierced my sides like a knife being driven into my ribs, still I pushed my legs to the absolute limit, zigzagging through the forest trying to evade the blasted hounds. I could hear the sounds of fire roaring behind me, with the cackling and crashing of trees being set ablaze and felled by the large creatures.

I did not have much time left. I needed to find shelter.

Roughly ten of us remained, seven men and three doglike creatures with black and grey fur. They were beginning to tire. All of us were. Three men clenched their sides and stopped, unable to continue due to the acidic buildup in their muscles. That was their limit. They were in death's hands now.

Glancing back, the arcanine caught up to them and stopped, charring their bodies until nothing was left but black ash. The smell of death clung to the air , heavy and thick as the arcanines continued their hunt, burning down anything in their path.

More fell victim to the effects of fatigue and stayed behind, panting and gasping for air as they clasped a hand to their chest, accepting the embrace of death and wishing the rest a good fortune.

Their salute was unbearable to watch, a spear of guilt, regret, and sorrow engulfed my entire being and I contemplated the thought of death. After death, there is no pain or sorrow. Only deep eternal rest. Rest. I felt ready to give up until a hand struck my back. It was my closest friend in the army, Nemos.

"Keep….running…Riven…" He huffed out, trying to speak despite his fatigue and heavy breathing. I looked at his face, and I knew what he was about to do.

He stopped along with the three mightyena who ran alongside of us and beckoned me to go. Drawing his blades he turned around and assumed a battle stance, intending to face the three arcanine in an attempt to stall time. For me.

"Nemos, No! They will kill you! Do not do this! We can make it out, please!" I cried.

Nemos was a friend, since the first day of training in the army. We were there for each other through the bloodiest battles and fought in every single fight, together. Seeing him give up his life for me split my heart in two, my knees grew weak and my muscles shook like a leaves in the wind. He was my comrade, friend, and partner. He was my family. The only family I had left in this wretched world, was about to be taken away again. By the same bastards who took my real family years ago. Ten years and again I am powerless to defeat them.

My rage was now being replaced with immense sorrow and pain, as Nemos smiled weakly and said, "Riven, go. You are more important than any of us. I cherished our times together and I hoped we would be able to share many more. However, Arceus has declared otherwise. Now go! Your bloodline must live! You cannot die here!"

"No..." I reached out attempting to limp over to him, halting when he pulled out a blade and pointed the edge at me, it's black steel glinting in the afternoon sun.

"GO!" He bellowed at the top of his lungs. Turning back I kicked the dirt with my boot and began to run again.

* * *

Nemos turned his head and watched as Riven moved away, a black blur heading further into the forest. Turning back to face the arcanine, he brandished his two blades and leapt into the flames. Gazing into the colors of the fire he remembered the moments he lived with his friend and smiled, a single tear running down his right cheek, landing on his right blade, turning into mist as the flames glided over his body.

He smiled and uttered a single word.

_Goodbye…._

* * *

My feet pounded the ground ferociously , no longer running but sprinting, fresh adrenaline coursing through my blood as I shut out my pain and resolved to honor Nemos last wish. He wanted me to live, to continue on, to never give up and to rebuild the bloodline that was nearly destroyed ten years ago. I would fight to every last breath if I had to. I wanted to live.

I approached a cave and no longer seeing the arcanines after me, I took refuge inside, hoping the darkness of the cavern would conceal my presence and deter the beasts from entering. I sat on the cold rocky floor, catching my breath and panting for air. Smelling the dampness of the cave with every breath I took, I hoped they would not find me. I did not pray. I would never pray again. Not after everything that happened to me and mine. He did not stop it, he probably condoned it and manipulated the strings of fate to make it so.

Suddenly a massive roar pierced the skies above and broke me out of my thoughts. My heart rate jumped and an electrifying shock traveled up my spine, making my hairs stand on end at the back of my neck. That was no arcanine. No. It was divine, such a roar could only belong to a being of legendary power, a direct creation of that excuse for a god. The ground trembled and shook as if the earth underneath me was being split in two, dust and pebbles falling from the ceiling of the cave onto the shaking ground beneath.

A strange feeling overcame my body and I was suddenly unconscious.

_Where am I? Am I dead? I cannot see or hear or feel? Is this death? No…._

Blue lights and vortexes of light enveloped the youth, who was in a deep slumber, pushing him along the currents of time. Where he was bound not even Arceus himself knew. The boy drifted along the fabric of time, finally reaching an entrance that brimmed and radiated light, his destination was there. The boy's body floated through the radiant gate and he was back in the material world.

* * *

_Ah. My head feels like I've been hammered by a thousand bricks. Where am I? What the hell happened? There was a roar and then…blank…._

I lifted myself off the ground , damp and soaked to the bone by the water I was lying in inside the cave. I looked around the cave, trying to see where I awoke. It seemed the same as before, although the ceiling now had noticeable pointed rocky spears hanging from the ceiling. Something was not right. I glanced down and saw a shallow puddle of water at the base of my feet. I did not remember water being there before I lost consciousness.

_How did this water get here? There was not any before, when the arca…._

_The arcanine. I almost forgot about them. Are they still looking for me?_

Dusting myself off, I walked towards the mouth of the cave and peered outside, the rays of the early morning sun warming my skin, making me feel slightly more at ease. There was no signs of any commotion or disturbance, only the sound of wildlife bustling about. I nearly stepped out of the cave when apprehension and caution slid back into my brain, reminding me that again, something was wrong.

_There should be no forest here. Everything was burned and charred to the ground or about to be burned. How is it logically possible for all this vegetation to be here? It makes no sense. I must proceed with caution. It could be a trick._

I stepped out of the cave, alert and ready to engage any threats that could come after me should they be foolish enough to do so. I walked thirty feet ahead in a suspiciously made road that simply screamed man made. I felt strange, seeing no blood or bodies on the floor, but trees and grass growing in their place. Fruit hung from their tall branches, ripe and perfect for eating. I sensed no malice in the air around me and so I began climbing the tree to reach the delicious fruit in order to appease my starved stomach and sore muscles.

Picking about twenty or so berries, I stuffed them inside my leather military bag and jumped down, landing on the floor with a crunch. Pulling a fruit from the pack, I smiled and took a bite, it's well rounded flavor appealing to the taste in my mouth. I finished the juicy fruit and looked for materials to build a fire and a stream to bathe and gather clean water for some food.

After thirty minutes of work and foraging, I gathered sufficient wood and materials to make a fire and enough water to make a stew. I placed the water inside of the small iron pot I was issued by the military and set it over the decently sized fire, then placing the sweet fruits inside to add flavor. Meanwhile the stew was cooking, I waded into the stream and cleaned myself, ridding my body of the grime, sweat and blood that accumulated on my uniform and on my skin.

Once I was clean, I went over to check on the stew. It was bubbling nicely and was fit to eat. Grabbing the pot with my gloves, I poured some of the stew into the bowl and began eating. The stew was not the most delicious thing I had ever tasted but it was a good meal and would do for the time being.

"With good fortune I can find a wild furret or stantler to fill my stomach and refuel my muscles." I muttered to myself, tugging at my quiver. Disappointment welled up in my head as I saw that I only possessed three arrows useable arrows. The others carried a nasty seviper toxin that could stop a man's heart in two minutes. If I ate anything that I killed with that, then I would just poison myself.

_And that would be stupid._

Walking along the riverbank , I heard a commotion inside the forest. I ran inside in search of prey, finding nothing of the sort, much to my disappointment. As I was turning back I heard a sharp yelp and numerous growls. My body was on full alert and I drew my twin blades, slowly walking towards the clearing where I heard the peculiar sounds. Cutting away the plants, I saw the source of the sounds from before; a pack of wild mightyena slowly circling two strange looking creatures I had never seen before.

One of them was dog-like and had snow white fur, with a sharp horn attached to the side of it's head and a sharp bladed tail that was colored a navy blue. It's eyes were blood red and it's fangs were bared, clearly trying to scare off the mightyena. It was not working.

The second creature was a small humanoid like creature with a red spike protruding from it's head and had green hair that covered it's eyes. It's body was white and it cowered behind the white furred animal, shaking in fear of being eaten by the bloodthirsty mightyena. Both strange creatures were seemingly small and I concluded that they could have been no more than two months old. It was an inaccurate assumption but it should have been close.

My common sense told me to walk away but something inside compelled me to stay. I looked at the two and saw the raw determination of the white creature. It's eyes reflecting it's will to live or die trying and also it's desire to protect the little one that cowered beneath it's feet.

I jumped out to defend them, the two were interesting.

_Let us see how this goes._

* * *

**I hope it interested you dear reader and I promise i will try to update consistently because I like being consistent. It irks me when people last update around the cretaceous period and then suddenly come back. Seriously.**


	2. Conflicts of the Past

_Shit. This is bad. There's six mightyena here. That's six on one! Talk about unfair! Why don't they take me one on one?_ The absol thought to herself, trying to formulate an escape plan._ Hmmmm. maybe this will work._

-"Hey! Why don't you cowards face me one on one! Too afraid to die, is that it?"- She taunted, attempting to lure them into her trap.

Unfortunately, they were dark types too so they knew something was up and instead of barking back and accepting her challenge, they merely reeled back and let out a cackling laugh.

-"Hehehe…This pup has some fight in her, doesn't she?"- The biggest and most scarred mightyena taunted back. He was most likely the alpha male of the group.

-"Oh yeah...she does, nice and feisty. Can I have my way with her before we kill her? I haven't been with a female in a while since we went out hunting last month. Bet she's nice and tight too."- The second mightyena said as he stuck his tongue out, licking the air seductively while staring at the female absol.

-"You're sick you know that? But you know what? I don't give a shit! Do what you want with her. What I really want is that little thing behind her."- The Alpha responded, whose gaze was fixated on the small form behind the absol's feet.

-"Oh, the Ralts? Psychic type isn't it?"- The third mightyena asked, not taking his eyes off of the absol's pretty white mane. He wanted her too.

-"Yup. It's a psychic all right. They just taste so delicious and the meat is so tender, full of juices and flavor. You all really need to try it sometime."- The alpha smirked, drool falling from rows of sharp white teeth as he pictured the ralts' meat in his jaws.

The pack began to circle the absol and the ralts, slowly advancing onto their position, growling and taunting them, trying to scare them. The hunters were sadistic and enjoyed raping and mutilating their prey without killing them, making them live through the whole thing before dying a gruesome death. This would be the second time within a week that the alpha would be tasting psychic flesh in between his teeth, the first being a nice little family in a cave a little ways a way from here.

Oh, he remembered.

* * *

The desperate cries of a little kirlia echoed in the night as she tried to run away, her attacks sliding off the dark types as they stalked her throughout the darkened forest. Blending in with the darkness, the only thing that the psychic type could see of the creatures were their murderous red eyes. The hunters cackled with glee, smelling the fear that radiated from the small pokemon, the scent was delicious and sweet. They loved this.

They stalled, giving the kirlia a window of opportunity to reach the cave. Safety. Her father, a gallade, would protect her from the dogs. She nearly stepped into the cave when one of the mightyena leaped out of the darkness and crunched his jaws closed on the kirlia's leg. Pain surged up her body, it's dark fangs causing more damage to her psychic body. Her face hit the dirt and she was dragged back a few feet away from the cave entrance, rocks cutting her cheeks scraping her mouth and nose. She glanced up and saw a gallade emerge from the cave, his face contorted in horror and devastation. The kirlia smiled knowing her father would save the day.

Then the alpha male bit down on her neck and twisted, breaking her neck. Laughing maniacally, the mightyena tossed the kirlia's lifeless body aside, and prepared for a fight.

The battle lasted thirty minutes. The gallade impaled two of his hunting buddies and beat two others to a bloody pulp with close combat, before his pack overwhelmed him. The alpha male stood over the restrained gallade and with one swift motion, tore the gallade's throat out. Spitting it out, he glanced over at the cave and spotted his next target, the mother.

It wasn't long before the remaining mightyena were able to ground the gardevoir and bite into her neck, right in the vein, a clean kill. The pack gathered up the three dead psychics and began gorging themselves, savoring the succulent meat. They howled up at the moon with a crazed manic glee.

* * *

He would never forget the taste.

_Today I'll get to taste it again._

The pack moved closer, causing the smaller absol to rear back and growl, trying to prevent them from advancing any further. However, one of the hastier mightyenas pounced and paid dearly for it. The absol positioned herself under him and turned her head up and to the right, impaling his neck with her sharp horn. She pulled out and flinched as a gush of blood erupted from his neck and stained her white fur a deep crimson. She had slashed through the artery in his neck and he yelped, feeling the damage that the horn caused, backing away weakly due to the massive blood loss from the wound. Leaning against a tree, he slumped onto the floor and passed out. Soon he would be dead.

The alpha male stopped and stared at the mightyena gushing wound, rage building up inside of him. He didn't want to play around with the absol anymore, he wanted it _dead_. Now visibly snarling, he and his pack moved onto the absol's position, killing intent flashing in his dark red eyes.

He leapt onto the absol, dodging her deadly horn and pinning her to the ground with a loud thud. Opening his mouth, he was about to strike the final blow when the bushes rustled violently and a large form appeared out of the forest, holding two long shiny pieces of metal in it's arms.

_Shit! A human! What's it doing here and what are those things it's carrying? I've never seen those bef-_

Pain interrupted his thoughts and he looked down at his front left leg, which had a deep gash going across it. The absol used this distraction to kick the mightyena off of her and slashed his chest with her sharp horn before retreating back towards the little ralts. Positioning herself in preparation for another leap, she waited and growled. Blood dripped from the alpha's wound but he was too distracted by the sight of the human slaughtering his pack.

The long metallic blade in the human's right arm impaled one of his hunters in between the eyes, instantly killing him. Pulling it out of the fallen mightyena with ease, he spun around holding the blade in the opposite direction, stabbing another canine sideways, perforating organs and muscle alike. He brought the dog down with a mighty thud and left the blade inside of his packmate's body.

The other two mightyena remaining were the alpha's two best fighters, surely they would kill him.

They both pounced at the same time, but with complete calm, the human sidestepped both of them and with one sharp motion, swung the piece of metal diagonally upward. Nonchalantly looking back at the two mightyenas, the human smirked as he saw one of the dogs fall, it's intestines spilling out of the large cut across it's stomach. He had disemboweled it with one quick slash. He pointed his bloodied sword at the other mightyena and taunted it with a garbled rumble from his human throat.

His enraged packmate lunged at the human but instead of stepping aside, the human raised it's hand and allowed him to sink his teeth into his arm. The leader of the pack nearly smirked in assurance of victory until he saw that there was no blood seeping out of the human's limb. The man stabbed the alpha's packmate through the center with the blade in his right hand and twisted it, making the dark type yelp in intense pain. He removed his blade from the corpse and unceremoniously dropped the lifeless body on the floor like a piece of spoiled meat.

Flicking the blade clean of blood, the human stood in place observing the last remaining hound with a cold expressionless face. He looked rather bored. Seething in rage and drunk with bloodlust, the mightyena grit it's teeth together and snarled viciously, cursing the human while vowing to rip out his throat .

-"I'll kill you! You fuck! I'll rip out your disgusting throat and leave your body out to rot! Insolent human scum! Die now!"- The mightyena ground out in a murderous voice, sinking his paws into the soil, ready to pounce. His injuries would limit his strength obviously, but it was more than enough to overpower a weak human, despite the blades. He would have to disable the human and get rid of the razor sharp metal in his hands.

Plan set and ready in his mind, the mightyena lunged forward, narrowly missing the blade as he slammed into the human with all of his body weight. Biting savagely into his hand, the dog caught the hilt of the blade and threw it backward, disarming the human. Having the man exactly where he wanted him, he attempted to rip out his throat, but was stopped when the human held him back with both hands, struggling to remove himself from such a perilous position.

The mightyena's jaws snapped forward again, missing the human's throat by mere centimeters as he pushed him back once more. Looking at the mightyena's injured chest, the young man knew what he had to do. Sticking his index and middle finger outwards, he thrust them into the mightyena's gaping wound, causing the injured dog to howl in pain. He then swung his elbow outwards, striking the mightyena with a deafening crack across the mandible. Managing to throw his attacker off, he saw the canine's jaw hanging limply to the side, clearly broken.

Not wasting any time, the man pulled out a dagger from a hidden compartment in his cuirass and jumped onto the injured animal. Now in control, he smashed the side of the mightyena's head with the hilt of the dagger, stunning it momentarily. Repeating this action, he left the dog bloodied and beaten, barely conscious.

Slowly positioning the dagger over the creature's heart, the repulsive human looked into the predator's eyes and saw a plea for mercy. Coldly staring back, Riven sank the blade into the predator's chest slowly and painfully, watching it's legs twitch and it's eyes grow wide. He sank the blade all the way to the handle and looked one last time into the creatures red eyes, twisting the blade with both hands, forcing the mightyena to exhale it's last and final breath of life.

Taking the dagger out, he cleaned it and placed it back in it's compartment and went back to retrieve his blades. _Those mightyena were not hunting for food._ He thought darkly. _They were circling the other two, they could have easily killed them long before I arrived. Those mightyenas were sadistic. I would bet my life that they have tasted human flesh prior to this. Who knows how many more they would have killed if I had not come along and halted them. _

"At least I did the world one small favor." He said, surveying the area around him. The ground had splatters of blood everywhere and corpses of dead mightyena scattered about, contrasting with the forest's grass and soft brown soil. Retrieving his blades, the young man placed them back in their sheathes that clung to his hips and turned towards the white maned creature and her humanoid friend.

As he approached, the absol got into a stance and growled lowly, giving a warning to the advancing human not to come any closer. Although she did this out of instinct, she knew there was no way that she would be able to hurt this man, not after seeing him near effortlessly kill all of those mightyena.

The black haired boy stopped five feet away from the pair and just stood there, eyeing them both. It was a little awkward, especially standing in the middle of a bloodbath while taillow chirped away in the forest around them. Suddenly, he reached into his pack and took something out of it.

The absol was startled, did he mean to catch her like other humans did to her parents? Reliving moments of loneliness and longing, she didn't notice that the human had already thrown something at her. The object hit her on the nose and fell to the ground with a soft thump. Looking down, she saw it was a sitrus berry. Was this some kind of peace offering?

_Is he friendly? Should I trust him?_ The female disaster pokemon asked herself. _He did save us from those mightyena. Maybe he isn't so bad after all… No! I can't trust __**them.**__ Humans are evil creatures._

Sensing his friend's apprehension, the ralts stepped forward, picked up the berry and said,- "Haona, you really should eat. It'll heal your wounds! Besides, you can't take him anyways. He'd kill you in less than a second."- Spreading his arms, the ralts simply stated, -"You run and pounce, he slashes and WAM. You're dead in no time flat."-

Sometimes, Haona really hated the ralts' blunt honesty.

She knew she couldn't take the human on, she was only a pup after all, and no one had trained her in combat yet, so he could easily kill her. Hesitantly she took the berry in her paw and bit down, savoring the berry's flavor as it began to slowly mend the bite wounds she sustained from her fight with the alpha. Forgetting all sense of dignity, she gave the human a wanting look and walked up to him, begging for more fruit. The ralts, Bib, as she called him, walked alongside her and extended his tiny hands, also wanting some more.

Although Riven had no idea what the creatures were saying, hearing only ab-sols and low chimes, he immediately knew what they wanted as they came over to him and looked at him longingly. Laughing to himself, he kneeled down and placed a hand on the absol's head, ruffling her fur.

"Her mane is incredibly soft and well maintained. She must groom herself often." Glancing at the small humanoid, he remarked , " Heh. It looks like a small child. It is…cute." Mentally kicking himself, he knew that if Nemos was here, he would never hear the end of it.

_Nemos. I miss you , old friend._ He thought, looking at the floor.

Shaking his head, he snapped back to reality and reached out into his pack, pulling out two more berries, handing one to each of the creatures before him. Smiling as he saw their faces light up at the sight of food, he stood up and began to walk away, back towards the road. He walked a few steps until he felt something tug on his trousers. The source was the small human like creature with the red horn sticking out of it's head.

"What is this? You want to come with me?" Riven asked, unsure of the creature's response.

It responded with a nod and a small smile, looking back at his friend the absol, waving a hand as a sign of assurance. Turning around, Riven looked at the absol's face and couldn't help but snicker. It looked downright annoyed. _Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned!_ Riven recalled from an old text he once read as a child. Remembering the humorous remark he clutched his sides in laughter, joined by the ralts a moment later. The absol huffed in response and looked up with her eyes closed, trotting past them in annoyance.

-"Hey at least we can get free food now!"- Bib exclaimed.

_That devious little bastard. Does he not see ANY downside to this? At all? He's a human. Humans are bad news._

-"Great."- She responded, now even more annoyed than before_. This is going to suck._

-"Come on! It'll be fun! Free food and protection. What more could a pokemon want?"-

-"Why do I even bother to put up with you?"- Haona grimaced_, I hate boys._

* * *

The sun was starting to set, illuminating the sky and clouds with hues of orange and red. Sunsets were Riven's favorite, not only because of their beauty but because they marked the transition between day and night, an event that fascinated him ever since he was a boy.

He had managed to find and kill a stantler, taking two well placed arrows to kill the buck. Placing it on the floor he began setting up a fire and on which to cook it on. Once the brush and logs had caught fire, he took out his dagger and started to skin the animal and take out the unwanted parts, leaving only the edible parts behind. Slicing some of the meat off with his dagger, he impaled it on a stick and stuck it over the fire to cook. Waiting for the food to cook, he bandaged up his arm where the mightyena bit him, not wanting the bite to fester. Once he was done, he looked over to the absol sitting next to him, watching the fire.

Looking at the succulent piece of meat, Haona's mouth began to water. She only had stantler once before in her life but she knew that it would be delicious. Bib however, was a little uneasy. He had never eaten meat before, instead choosing to eat berries and the like. _Well, you need to try something new some day._

Sniffing up the scent of the cooking meat,she automatically moved forward, right next to the evil human. Her senses were completely focused on the food and not on the human. Sweet, delicious meat. She stared at it like an impatient little puppy and attempted to sneak a nibble when the human pulled it out of the fire.

Seeing her impatience, Riven gave her the first piece and observed her reaction. Blowing slightly on the cooked meat, the absol devoured the haunch and smiled in delight, savoring the explosion of flavor in her mouth. This was Riven's first time seeing the stubborn little absol actually have something other than a depressing frown plastered on her face. It was a nice change. Especially after she tried biting his finger off when he attempted to pet her. She was immensely stubborn and proud, a trait that most woman have too much of an abundance of. She did not quite trust him yet, judging by the wary glances she took whenever she got close to him.

The other one was far more agreeable than the 'absol'. He did not know the name of the creature because it did not speak it's name whenever it spoke. It let off low chimes instead of repeating it's name over and over. Nonetheless, it opened up to him much more than the 'absol' did, sitting close to him and hiding in his pack. He was a hungry fellow that seemed to have a pit in his stomach because he could not stop eating. In just thirty minutes, the creature managed to devour nearly all of the berries in Riven's pack, startling him as to how such a small thing could consume so much food.

It seems that the little "child" also seemed fascinated by Riven's blades, looking at the sheathes with awe and wonder.

_Huh. Creatures usually have no interest in human weapons. Maybe killing those dogs inspired him?_ Riven pondered, perplexed by the creature's strange behavior.

He had never encountered them in his life, so he had no clue what they would become or if they could grow at all. Although he suspected the small one would evolve into something with some sort of bladed appendage, considering his natural affinity for sharp objects. The white one did not seem like it had another stage of growth. Although she would probably grow bigger physically, currently she was on the smaller side of the scale.

Enjoying a nice meal from the now fully cooked stantler, the three prepared to go to sleep. It took a bit of prodding from the absol to get the ralts to stick the meat into his mouth, bickering and growling in frustration as he refused. It was a comical sight for Riven, watching the absol bury her head in her paws before muttering ,"Absol" and trotting away to go to sleep under a tree. The display almost made him forget about his own strange situation.

Laying down on the soft grass next to the fire pit, weariness overtook him and he fell asleep.

Haona watched the human instantly go lights out.

-"Huh. Out like a light. Do they usually go to sleep that easily?"- She asked Bib.

-"I don't think so. He might be tired from all that wood gathering, killing things, and carrying a heavy deer around."- Bib responded back.

Sounding reasonable, she simply nodded her head and continued watching the sleeping human. After a five minutes of looking at his chest rise and fall, she began to nod off. However, she was awoken when the human started to move about restlessly, cold sweat breaking out on his skin. It was a nightmare of some kind. Silent tears slid out of his eyes and his fists clenched tightly, whatever it was it was _bad_. The last time she saw this was the day after she found Bib, shivering and crying in his sleep.

His parents and sister were murdered in front of him. He still didn't feel comfortable talking about it. Just what could this guy have lived through to experience nightmares that intense?

Slightly worried, she stood up and walked over to him, nudging him lightly, trying to wake him.

* * *

_I know this place. It's my home. How can that be? I was in the forest, far from here. _

Looking around, he saw all the wooden and stone buildings with one huge palace in the distance. This was his home. It was his home, yet everything about it felt….._wrong_.

No people or creatures. No laughter of children or murmuring of shoppers in the market stalls. No chimecho hanging from the porches of houses, no wind, no sounds. There was no life. Empty.

Walking for what seemed like ages, he reached the large building. Surprised to see that the doors were unlocked, he stepped inside.

Not a soul in sight, everything inside was still and nothing looked out of the ordinary. However, he could not shake the eerie feeling in his spine. Something was waiting for him. He climbed up the stairs to the second floor, passing suits of armor and mounted weapons until he reached his room. Hesitating, he opened the door and a foul odor assaulted his nostrils. The smell was a stench of rotting and burned flesh.

Turning on a candle, he held it up and his eyes widened in horror.

In the room, he saw his entire family dead. Some were horribly disfigured, others burned, and some beginning to decompose. His legs began to shake and he brought up a hand to his mouth, holding back a scream. In the middle of the pile of corpses, he saw a little boy.

It was him. Frozen in fear, he heard a voice call his name out behind him.

"Riven."

Turning around he saw Nemos standing behind him, his eyes filled with the same sadness as the day he died.

Nemos stared into Riven's eyes," I am sorry. So sorry. So sorry…".

Riven ran towards his friend, trying to embrace him, grabbing his shoulders and pulling him into a hug.

His friend only smiled with a heavy sadness. "So sorry…..I could not protect…..you." Saying these words he turned to ash in Riven's arms. Soon the world around him faded away into nothingness, leaving him stranded in a place of endless black space.

_This is your life. Empty. There is nothing for you. There is nothing left. Your world is but a husk. Wake up. All you will taste is ashes in your mouth. You will find nothing but pain and despair, you pathetic shell. Disappear._

Hearing those words, Riven fell to his knees and screamed, holding his head in his hands as the words creeped into his mind.

* * *

He jolted himself awake, sweating profusely, skin as cold as ice. He saw two worried looking creatures staring back at him, concerned for his well being. Bolting himself upright, he fumbled onto the riverbank, splashing his face with ice cold water, trying to forget the images he saw. Trying to forget the words that pierced his soul.

_Your world is but a husk. You will find nothing but pain and despair. Disappear._

"No , no, NO!" He screamed madly, trying to force those torturous words out his mind. Pounding the floor until his knuckles were red, he looked at his reflection in the water.

A man with midnight black shaggy hair stared back at him, his eyes cold and menacing, one black and the other a dark blue. Then the image changed and he saw himself, pale and gaunt, stiff with fear.

Standing up, he looked up at the sky and shouted loudly, falling unconscious as fatigue took him.


	3. Clueless and Confused

A roar shook the surrounding forest, causing flocks of taillow to fly away in a state of panic. Haona and Bib froze, feeling a brief but intense surge of dark energy. It felt like someone had hit them with a dark pulse.

She and Bib recognized this feeling. It was hatred, raw untamed hatred. She felt it whenever she would think about the humans who took her parents, often during strong depressive periods on her own in the wild.

Bib, who was hypersensitive to emotion, felt the hate far worse than Haona. He knew it down to his very bones. Hate so powerful that it coiled around the heart like a vice, driving murderous thoughts into the mind and corrupting the soul, destroying it's host from the inside. It felt worse than acid being dropped on bare skin, more painful than a stab in the stomach. Bib clenched his teeth, fury rising throughout his body. His psychic abilities subconsciously began levitating objects and twigs off the floor, sharpening them into razor sharp daggers, ready to destroy. Ready to kill.

Haona saw the visible change in Bib's usually jolly happy go lucky demeanor and nudged him.

-"Hey. Are you alright Bib? You're scaring me right now."- She mentioned. She had never seen him this way before. It wasn't pleasant to look at.

The ralts once glowing blue eyes then returned to their normal red color and left the pokemon slightly dazed and confused.

-"Huh? Why did I? Was that me?"- He looked around the fire, noticing the pointed sticks and branches littering the floor. He couldn't even manage to lift two objects remotely three feet off the ground before.

Haona stared at him, concern lining her pristine features. –"Yeah, that was you. As soon as the wave came at us, you just….changed."- Awkwardly glancing away she asked, -"The hate. You felt it too right?"-

Bib stared at her, perfectly serious. –"Yes. I did."-

-"I know the ralts line is really sensitive to emotions but I had no idea that it was that strong."-

Turning away, Bib faced the direction in which the roar came from. –"It isn't…. Let's go."- With that he ran towards the riverbank , tiny legs carrying him as fast as they could.

_It isn't? Does that mean that part of that overwhelming hate was his own? His parents…._

Dropping the subject, she shook her head and ran in the same direction Bib had. Upon arriving at the riverbank, she saw the ralts standing before the collapsed human near the edge of the water.

Looking at his body, she felt something strange. She had picked it up before but never thought much of it. He felt like her. Like her kind.

_It's almost like he's a dark type. But how? Humans just don't have the abilities pokemon have. Or their weaknesses. Nothing about him makes any sense. Was he the one who roared earlier? _Eyes widening, she looked at Bib's equally perplexed expression. _No. Couldn't be. That sounded like a tyranitar's roar. His lungs would burst into shreds releasing that kind of noise._

The absol's face now held a look of utter terror, looking at the human as if he was some kind of monster.

Frantic, she told Bib ,-"Bib. We need to get out of here. This human. I don't like it. He's dangerous."-

-"I'm not leaving."-

-"What? What the fuck has gotten into you? One day with a human and already you're his pet growlithe? I thought you knew better than this, Bib."- She snarled, disgusted with her friend's response.

The ralts was deathly silent. He simply stood there, not taking his eyes off the human for a second. Finally turning around to face the angry absol, stoic and eerily calm, he said,-"He killed my parent's murderers."-

His reply shocked Haona, suddenly remembering the mightyena pack that the human had slain some hours ago. Suddenly realizing what this meant, she looked at the floor in shame.

-"I-I didn't know. I'm sorry."-

-"I saw them die you know. How they tore them to shreds. I hid behind a rock like a coward. Too afraid to speak, too afraid to do anything."- Bib's hands clenched tightly, nearly cutting off circulation. –" I hated them with all my being, but most of all, I hated myself. Now thanks to him, part of that hate I once felt is gone."-

Haona stayed silent, unsure of what to say, unsure of what to do. She couldn't possibly leave her friend. Closing her eyes, she nodded. She would endure the human for him. She promised she would protect him. If that meant she would have to deal with a human, then she would.

Bib understood and turned back towards the human, placing a small hand on his forehead.-"I felt the same thing in him. He needs help or that rage will eat him inside, until it drives him insane, turning him into a monster that wishes only to destroy, robbing others of what was stolen from him long ago. He's alone. He needs us."-

So this was Bib's true personality. He was nothing like his old self. It was startling and terrifying at the same time.

-"Let him sleep then"- Haona said, feeling a gentle breeze glide across the riverbank.

-"Yeah. Then in the morning you can dunk his ass into the water."- He smirked mischievously.

Giggling, she curled up next to the strange human, calling Bib over to sleep on her soft fur.

_That's the little ralts I know._

* * *

Riven stirred, back slightly aching from sleeping on the floor, he opened his eyes and caught a glimpse of the rising sun. It was dawn. His eyes started slowly closing again, drifting off to sleep. Before they closed fully, he caught a glimpse of a white blurry ball.

It was approaching rather quickly.

His mind was still groggy and didn't register the hit until after the white furball collided with him, sending him over the riverbank and into the gentle river water.

Now fully awake, he pulled himself out of the water, sputtering enough curse words to put the navy sailors to shame.

Eyesight still a bit hazy, he looked at the culprit with silent fury. No one enjoys a rude awakening after a peaceful slumber. _No one_.

"YOU! Why would you do that?! Could a simple push not have done the same thing? Next time you are enjoying your most calming rest , I am going to pour ice cold water on YOUR face." He ranted for a couple minutes, dripping on the forest floor, black hair sticking to his face.

The absol just sat on a rock, like a regal and _pompous_ little stubborn queen, licking her paws and fur clean. She looked completely unfazed.

"Are you even listening to me?!" He yelled, trying to get the absol's attention.

She turned her head facing him, a small smug little smirk on her face. She was taunting him.

_She is taunting me! Argh. I should have foreseen this. I knew she was a demonic creature. She pushed me into a blasted river! Who does that to a sleeping person?_

Clearly amused, the smug little "queen" leapt off the rock, holding her head high and smiling. She had won, trotting back to their camp in proud strides.

"What am I going to do about that one? It behaves like an actual human woman! Thanks, arceus. Yet another torture for this poor soul. First I wake up in a world that makes no sense, then I get stuck with an absol that loves to play tricks." Riven grumbled, hair and clothes still thoroughly drenched from his unexpected dunk.

He started back towards camp. Catching sight of a rather mischievous looking creature, he immediately knew the mastermind behind the act. Looking at the ralts, fistful of berries in it's mouth, he bellowed.

"IT WAS YOU!"

The small creature clutched his sides, rolling on the ground laughing his tiny little arse off.

* * *

It was now nearly noon, the forest now alive with sounds and activity. Taillow could be heard squawking in the distance, linoones scurrying about and seedots swinging off branches in the trees.

It was a calming sight. Although it did rub Riven rather strangely. Not being chased by things that wanted you dead just did not sit well with him. Perhaps it was his overcharged nerves.

"Are forests always this peaceful? He said to himself, eyes surveying the tree tops. Creatures swang through the branches and birds flew overhead, occasionally chirping and squawking.

-"Absol Ab."- The white demon responded, he had still not forgotten this morning's incident at the river.

"I cannot understand your speech , cruel woman." Riven declared , glaring daggers into her. It seemed to be clearly ineffective as she just laughed and gave an infuriating ,"absol" in response.

_I have an ominous feeling she might try something devious tonight as well. Who knows what her and the child are concocting at this very moment. _Riven inwardly remarked, warily eyeing both the white queen and the spike of mischief._Yes, those will be their pen names from this point onward._

Turning away from the two with a dramatic huff, he eyed a peculiar metal sign. Scanning the area around for any lurking threats, he walked up to it and stood in front.

The sign read "Route 101".

_What does that even signify? Why would anyone be foolish enough to waste metal on a lowly sign? What a disastrous and stupid usage of resources. _He looked around the edges, trimmed and cut to an expert degree, almost knife edge exact. It nearly brought a tear to his eye._ Using an expert artisan, no less. Whomever is responsible for this needs to receive a massive scolding for misuse of military resources. But it is very well made..._

"Route 101. No other place to go besides onward correct?" Walking to the left, he could see faint outlines of something. They looked like buildings.

Memories and caution slammed into his mind, making him instinctively reach for his blades. _There are no buildings here. There should be no humans residing in this area. _Then again, the forest did not belong here either. Nothing was how it should be.

Waving a hand forward, the ralts and the absol sensed his caution and ran up to him, also scanning the area for danger. Finding no indication of or trace of hostility in the surrounding path, Riven and his companions continued down the road, walking with a just a sliver of paranoia and plenty of caution.

Grasping his blades , he started to remember bits and pieces of what occurred last night. Much of it was like a haze, and none of the memories were aligned, only glimpses of images and feelings coming to him. He recalled how he got close to the river, pounding the floor in desperation. He remembered seeing his reflection in the water.

Then all he saw was a pitch black darkness. He must have rendered himself unconscious. Whispers creeped at the back of mind, edging him. Silencing the annoying voices, he kept walking, recollecting his thoughts on last night's events.

_If only White Queen could talk to me. I would _persuade_ her into informing me of everything. Knowing her, she would rather misguide me as a form of entertainment though. I cannot seem to remember anything else. Perhaps I should try again at a later time. _Approaching the buildings he now saw something that amazed him.

Every single building looked beautiful. The houses were beautifully painted and had perfectly tiled roofs with flower gardens growing around them. He had never seen so much houses in such a gentle state. War had a way of making even the most elegant edifice nothing but an ugly stump sticking out of the ground.

_These people must be wealthy. Those buildings over there, are they made of metal too? By hell, is that red dye? Only nobles wore red. Rich indeed._

* * *

Bib and Haona walked alongside Riven, looking at his absolutely befuddled expression. He seemed genuinely amazed by the houses and that building they called the laboratory. It was as if he'd never seen a building like that before.

-"You don't think he was raised in a cave do you?"- The absol speculated.

-"Looking at his jaw hit the floor each time he sees a new building, I'm starting to wonder if he's lived under a geodude his whole life."- Bib proclaimed, slightly amused by his human companion.

Haona snickered. –"I think you may be right."-

Bib pointed to himself, proudly exclaiming, -"I'm always right hehe!"-

Pointing to the amazed young man with her horn, the absol lifted Bib onto her head and ran ahead to catch up to her stupid human. He was now standing in front of the pokemon lab, seemingly debating whether to step foot inside or not.

Haona rammed into him, pushing him through the sliding doors and into the building.

"Ah! The doors opened by themselves!" He shrieked, startled and intrigued at the same time. "How do they do that?!"

-"Hey Bib. I think your clueless idiot theory certainly applies now."-

-"Told you. I'm always right."-

Riven looked dumbfounded as he looked around the interior of the laboratory. He looked at the tv screens in a mix of awe and shock.

"What in the blazes are those!" The clueless human stammered, whose jaw hit the floor. Again.

"Ah! Come to register for the pokemon league hmm?" an older man with a white lab coat and sandals asked as he entered the room.

* * *

"Uhh.."

The other human, presumably the professor, clapped him on the back , pushed his palm onto a scanner and told Riven to straighten up for a picture. Following his orders, Riven put on a straight face as a flash of light illuminated the lab momentarily.

"Great! You're set! Now it's time for you to choose!" The professor beamed, excitement evident throughout his body. He must feel like this every time a new person starts their journey.

"Wait! What did you just do to me?" He hissed, obviously he must have poisoned me or something!

"Huh? I registered you for the pokemon league. Isn't that what you came here to do?" , the professor explained. "All I did was take your fingerprints and your picture so the system can register your ID number."

"The what can register what? I have no honest idea what you are trying to say to me." The trainer to be objected, now extremely confused.

"You mean to tell me you signed up for the pokemon league without knowing a single thing about it?"

"What is a pokemon?" He pointed at the White Queen and the Horn of Mischief. "Is that what you call the creatures?"

"You have to be joking. You can't be that dense. My son is dense and even he knew what a pokemon was well before he started his journey. Were you living under a geodude these past ten years by any chance? Well maybe more than ten. You look about seventeen or so." The professor replied, now as confused and astounded as I was.

Riven heard snickering behind me and frowned, seeing White Queen and Mischief struggling to contain their laughter at the geodude joke.

"No, I have not been living under a geodude." He retorted, starting to get a bit annoyed.

"Yes well, now you have to choose your starter!" The professor pushed him along through another set of automatic doors and into a room with all different manner of equipment. Images were being projected on the screens, and strange beeps came from the boxes around the room. "Here we are. In each of these pokeballs there is a starter pokemon that you will choose as your very first official pokemon. Choose wisely because you cannot trade it in for the other ones."

_Either this man is a stark mad lunatic or does not possess the power of logic. It is not possible to fit any decently 'pokemon' in something that small._

"You cannot possibly fit a cr-pokemon in such a small sphere. That is frankly impossible." He stated bluntly.

"Really now? Well you'll definitely be surprised then! Torchic, come on out!" The man exclaimed as the ball opened up in mid air and projected a white light on the ground. The light assembled into a form and then cleared, revealing an orange colored chick in it's place.

-"Torrrrrr-chic"- it chirped, glad it could be out of it's ball to stretch it's legs.

The young man stood there completely stupefied.

_How? What. In. the. Fuck? A pokemon just emerged out of that ball! That puny ball! This is complete madness! I have lost my mind. Nothing makes any more sense._ He sat down on a metallic chair. Hard. The boy needed some time to take in and assess what just occurred. He felt like his mind exploded.

Meanwhile ,White Queen was rolling on the floor laughing so hard she couldn't breathe correctly.

-"Oh! His jaw went through the floor, around the earth and smacked him! Did you see his face? Priceless!"- Giggling uncontrollably, she hesitated to get up before collapsing back onto the floor in a laughing fit.

Bib was speechless, having already laughed more than he could bear, he just sat on the floor clapping like a stupid Sealeo, tears of laughter coming of his eyes.

They were never going to let this go.

* * *

Birch,the professor, spent the next few hours explaining to Riven about pokemon and how the balls worked, as well as the pokemon centers and the pokemon league.

Riven listened intently but was left with even more questions than he had before. Since when did ten year olds go out on their own? Since when did people start caring for pokemon as pets? Do these people not detest each other? What happened? Why is everything so strange?

"Riven my boy, I see you have two pokemon following you right now. Do you want two pokeballs so you can register them as your own?" Birch wondered, seeing the absol and ralts tail Riven as he walked around the lab.

"That is up to them to decide." He responded hesistantly, still thinking about the world he came from and how different it was from the one now. What was he going to do now? Become a pokemon trainer and take on the league? Or search for answers?

Figuring he could do both while becoming a trainer, he reached out and took the pokeballs from Birch. He cared little for the trainer part anyway.

"Absol and Ralts. Do you accept me as your trainer?" He respectfully asked, not wanting to force them to do anything they were not comfortable with.

White Queen came up to him, stuck her tongue out and pushed the white button in the middle, opening the pokeball and sucking her in. After a few moments of wobbling, the ball clicked. She was his. The ralts followed suit soon after, pushing the button and getting sucked into the ball.

Moments after, the balls re-opened and the two pokemon came out. Riven still was a bit perplexed by the ball's ability to condense matter and shrink it. He would make a note of studying said subject later on in his travels.

Birch was a little surprised to see both pokemon come out of their pokeballs on their own, usually only pokemon who didn't like the virtual reality did that. It was that or they felt confined in the ball, wishing to be outside better.

Turning to Riven, he put his hands on the boys shoulders and asked, "Are you ready for your journey Riven?"

The youth nodded in response, before turning around and glancing back at Birch. "Thank you, Professor Birch. With luck I will find the answers I seek. Goodbye. But before that, I would like to know the whereabouts of some sort of library or location with a collection of old books. I need to search for something."

The man scratched his beard and cheerfully answered. "Why that's easy! Rustboro City is your best bet. Devon Corp. is also there. I suggest you pick up a PokeNav and a holo caster. It's new tech from the Kalos region that's very convenient. Good luck on your travels! Oh and don't forget to fill up that pokedex!"

Walking out of the lab, Riven felt a change in the wind, marking a new start. A new opportunity, a new world.

_Maybe it is not so bad after all._


	4. Misfortunes and Blood

Shortly after leaving the peaceful and breezy little town named Littleroot, Riven and his team headed back down route 101, in search of the next town. It was fairly quiet, the sun was setting and the forest was peaceful, a gentle draft coming from the west, brushing against the trees. It was a perfect evening. Unfortunately, perfect evenings never lead to anything good.

Riven knew first hand after all. Every good evening or day for that matter either ended in tragedy, ambush, or misfortune. Sometimes, if Arceus and whatever legendary bastard that governed luck decided they wanted to watch him squirm, all three. Having nothing happen at all was just wrong. It made him uneasy. Hearing the bushes rustle now and then at odd intervals just seemed to fuel his overcharged nerves. Everywhere he glanced he saw ambushes or something laying in wait, ready to cut his throat.

He could just be paranoid after all. But the life of a soldier was rough and full of surprises. Surprises that were seldom good and more gruesome and horrifying than anything. He flinched, remembering the time when a stray cinder from the campfire ignited a piece of dry brush and then torched their tents to the ground. And three fourths of the forest with it.

Or maybe that time when a loose boulder had crushed the soldier next to him when they were passing through the mountains while they were maneuvering to flank. That was…unfortunate. Cleaning blood and dust off your boots was _never_ an amusing task to be sure. Alas, he would just have to wait and see what was in store for him today.

Haona and Bib exchanged looks between Riven and each other, scanning his odd behavior of flinching at random intervals. He seemed to be thinking about something unpleasant, which made him flinch. It was a strange sight but it was slightly entertaining. What a quirky human.

"You think he's a bit weird?" Haona asked, her face twisted into an expression that was a mix of what the hell with a side of huh?

"Psh. All humans are weird, my dear lady." Bib shrugged. "Besides, I guess it's a good thing we didn't get stuck with some dimwit trainer. I'll take jumpy and alert over stupid and cheery anyday."

"Yeah. That's true. I've heard of other pokemon getting caught by complete idiots, disobeying them and sometimes even hurting them. Then the humans put them down. It's pretty sad. Oh and by the way, don't call me lady. It sounds wrong coming from a little mischievous _pervert _like you."

"Hey! I happen to be a respectable young boy," Bib objected, feeling slightly offended at being called a pervert.

The absol simply closed her eyes, giggling at his reaction. Sometimes he could be really fun to tease. It was pretty cute. Silencing her laughter, she turned to him again, this time a bit more seriously. "So what happens now?"

"I guess he's going to go face the pokemon league now. That's what most trainers do anyway."

" Sure but something tells me that he isn't interested in that at all."

"Could be. Who knows? It's not like we can read minds right?" Bib said, not realizing the irony in his statement.

Haona's eyes narrowed. Either that was a joke, or Bib's brain failed him for a second.

"What?"He questioned, unsure why his previous comment made her reac- oh that's right. Well now he felt a bit stupid. He brought a palm to his face, leaving a little red mark on his covered forehead. "Yeah that was a bit stupid heh. Funny thing is, I can't read minds yet. I'm only a ralts. I can't even pick up four objects without getting winded."

Haona recalled the forest incident the night before and lifted a brow. Surely he had to remember _that_. You don't just forget a momentary lapse of immense power. Bib was pretty powerful, he just didn't know it yet.

Bib recognized that look, knowing full well what she implied. He sighed, "Haona, that wasn't me. I couldn't control what I was doing. I don't know how I even did that. Or how I was even _able_ to do it. It feels kinda fuzzy whenever I think about it, like I'm searching for a single ledyba in the middle of a whole forest full of screaming tyranitar."

Haona was about to reply but was cut short by Riven, who held up a closed fist and stood perfectly still, listening for sounds. He had keen ears, due to his role of being a scout and infiltrator. Something was approaching, and _fast_. It was coming from the east, inside the forest. The leaves of the trees shook furiously as a_ very_ loud buzzing hum was heard.

_What could that be?_ Riven thought. He had a few ideas of course, one which did not thrill him in the slightest. Either that was a swarm of yellow jacks or beedrill, as the people like to call them here, or a swarm of something much, much, worse.

It didn't take very long for the three to see the damage the swarm was causing. Trees were falling everywhere, leaves were being shredded like paper and pokemon scurried about in a desperate attempt to escape all of the falling trees. What swarm could possibly cause such destruction?

Riven had no clue whatsoever. Haona and Bib, on the other hand, knew_ exactly_ what. Their fears were confirmed when they caught a dash of bright green. Eyes widening as wide as the moon, both pokemon sped on ahead, running for their lives. Riven stood there dumbfounded, unable to realize that things were about to get worse.

He stood motionless when a flash of green emerged from the forest, followed by hundreds of bright green figures. Flipping out his pokedex, he pointed it at the pokemon, which instead of displaying it's information, the screen only read _: Run. NOW._

Looking at the razor sharp scythes on each of it's arms, then looking at the extremely irritated mob behind it, Riven quickly heeded the pokedex's advice. He kicked off the ground running as fast as he could, trying to catch up to his two pokemon who were a little bit a ways away from him. The unfortunate part about humans, they are _not_ fast. Riven was fast, for a _human_. Compared to a pokemon with wings? He was a torkoal. Sprinting away, he could hear the furious buzzing of the Scyther swarm behind him. They were going to catch up very soon and they looked famished. Which meant one of two things, either hold your ground and attempt to fight your way out, or keep running and eventually get slashed to the ground. Hungry pokemon did not stop very often, specially with how famished the scyther looked. The swarm must have not had enough to eat, judging by the sheer number of bug pokemon behind him.

_Damn those pokemon are fast. I believe running is pointless in this situation. They are too fast and are capable of flight, my human legs cannot keep up. Wonderful. Angry creatures that want my head on a plate. Nothing like good old times huh. I guess some things never change, even in the future._

Now running alongside Mischief and the White Queen, he eyed the entrance to some neck length grass. Usually it was not a good idea to jump into tall grass, but this was an exception. It was either death by unexpected mauling or death by scythe. Neither was preferable of course, but the tall grass just _might _not have things that could potentially maul you. Taking a chance, Riven motioned to both pokemon to follow him into the grass, hopefully to shake the rapidly approaching swarm of scythers bound in their direction.

Diving into the tall grass, Riven and his pokemon stayed motionless, low to the floor to reduce body image. With luck, the scyther would have trouble finding them. But as these things always went with Riven, he had no such luck. Scythes slashed through the grass like a blade through butter, the once tall grass now cut short just above their heads. The scyther flew past until one of them managed to spot Riven and his friends.

"Scythe!" It called out, pointing it's blades in Riven's direction. The _whole_ swarm then turned 180 degrees in the other direction. Now facing _them_.

"Shit," Riven swore, now slowly rising, placing the ralts into his pack. White Queen also rose slightly, noting the menacing array of sharp chitin pointing in their direction. This was not looking good.

_Death by scythe it is._ Riven snorted, admiring the irony of it all. _I survived through all of that hellish war to die to a bunch of bugs? What a grand way to go._

Locking eyes with the White Queen, he conveyed a message by shifting looks between her, the swarm, and the trail outside of the tall grass. _On my signal, we run. If we fight in the tall grass, we are dead._

Haona, understanding the gist of the message, prepared her legs, waiting for the signal. Riven then slowly lifted one finger in the air, then two and then- RUN!

The man and the absol darted back towards the trail, leaving the thick brush and heading out onto open ground. The grass would slow them down and because they couldn't fly, the scyther would destroy them. Not that it would make much of a difference anyway but at least they could take some down with them.

Now standing in the clearing, the youth brought out his pokeball and released the pokemon inside. An orange chick emerged from the pokeball and chirped in happiness. Then it turned around. Seeing all of the angry scyther approaching, the torchic ran back towards it's trainer, trying to click the button on it's pokeball to get sucked back inside. No way was it going to fight all of _that_.

_The professor just had to stick me with a trainer with tendencies for bad situations._ She gulped, thinking about what she could have experienced had she not been with someone so disaster prone. _Well he does have an absol. It makes sense._ Accepting her miserable fate, the torchic stood by her trainer's feet, slightly grumbling about how unfair life was and how she wished that bastard mudkip would be here instead. _I could have found a mate! I could have had se-_

She was cut off by a sharp snap from her trainer's fingers. "Focus," he said. "Get in the pack with Ralts. I want you to drive off any scyther that come close with your ember. The fire should deter them or drive them away. Bugs hate fire as much as I hate Arceus, this should work. Theoretically at least."

_Theoretically?! Great. _ The torchic thought to herself sarcastically. _Why not? I'm already dead._

Riven then spoke to Mischief and the White Queen. "Ralts, I need you to support me with your psychic abilities. I know they are not the strongest nor can you handle multiple targets but I want you to use confusion on any scyther that come close, and slow any blades that come close to me. White Queen, I need you stay close and sucker punch any of the ones that I am occupied with. You know ice beam so it will be our best weapon against them. Freeze their wings to immobilize them. Then kill them with your horn. Remember not to stray too far."

Haona and Bib were surprised. Their human was actually rather intelligent, speaking like a true tactician. The absol also didn't expect to be called White Queen. In truth, she kind of liked it. No. She loved the name. However, that would have to wait. _If we survive_, she mentally reprimanded herself. _There's just way too many._

Muscles tensing, and fresh adrenaline creeping into their bloodstreams, the gang waited for the bugs, who approached with Rayquaza like fury.

Smirking, Riven drew his blades, ready for battle.

* * *

Professor Birch sat in his lab, uneasiness welling up in his stomach. It wasn't his lunch, but the young man he sent off a couple hours ago. His entire presence just shook Birch in a way that was unnatural. His eyes, one dark brown and the other an ethereal azure blue, struck him as very strange. His clothing was also very strange. If Birch didn't know any better, he'd say that the kid was reenacting some kind of play, but no actors were in town for that. He wore some kind of leather that was reinforced at the knees and elbows. It also had noticeable damage and slash marks.

_Just what has that boy gotten himself into?_ Birch wondered, trying to think of different scenarios that he could have lived through._ Could have been a bunch of wild pokemon with sharp blades. Maybe even scyther_. How he could live through an attack by a scyther swarm was beyond Birch. Hardly anyone unlucky enough to get caught by their attacks survived, the few that did were not unscathed. Why would a person be wearing leather in times like these? It made no sense.

There was also that strange insignia that was emblazoned on the shoulder pads. He'd never seen the symbol before in his life, it looked powerful. Who was this boy? But that was not what disturbed him the most.

Tired of pondering the subject by himself, he took out his holo caster and dialed up his friend and colleague, Steven Stone.

Steven picked up a minute of waiting later, looking a little tired. "Ah, professor Birch. Good to see you."

"It's good to see you too Steven. How's work?" Birch inquired, noticing the large bags under Steven's eyes.

"Nerve-wrecking to say the least. We found new rock specimens in a cave near Lilycove and we haven't slept at all. The patterns and molecular structure of the rocks are superb. I've never seen anything like it before." Steven responded with a cheerful tone. " So, professor, why the sudden call?"

"Well a trainer appeared at my lab a few hours ago and I sent him to Rustboro to go pick up a holo caster and his pokenav. The bill was already sent so he can just pick them up. They are registered under Riven," Birch explained.

"Alright. Is that all? I have a feeling that isn't important enough to make such a sudden call." Steven didn't miss a beat. He was the former Hoenn league champion after all.

"No. That isn't it. I'm not sure if it's just me but this boy…He just doesn't add up."

"What do you mean?" Steven lifted a brow, attention now fully focused on Birch.

"He registered for the pokemon league and didn't even know what a pokemon was. He also asked what a television screen was. When I released a Torchic from it's ball, the boy's mind nearly exploded. He sat down in a chair looking bewildered for thirty minutes. I had to use a chansey to slap him back into reality. I had to explain to him how pokeballs and the pokemon league worked." Birch drew a breath, "He also claimed he was from Altea and that the metal signs on the routes were a waste of resources."

Steven looked equally perplexed and skeptical. "What did he live under a geodude his whole life? Did his parents also drop him as a child? How can he sign up for the pokemon league and not know what a pokemon is?"

"I asked the same thing. Apparently sarcasm is lost on him. He called his pokemon, an absol and ralts, _creatures_."

"That's a bit strange."

"It is but that isn't the strangest part. He's dressed like a soldier. He's wearing leather armor and chaps, with shoulder pads that bear this insignia." Birch showed Steven the crude drawing of the insignia he saw on Riven's shoulder pads. "It's damaged substantially and has slashes and burn marks all over it. This boy has been in serious tussles. With _big_ pokemon."

Steven analyzed the drawing, trying to see if he'd seen it anywhere, on glyphs or on the internet. He recalled nothing and said,"I've never seen it before. What could it be?"

"I don't know. And there's more. One of his eyes is blue while the other is brown. He carries a strange glowing stone around his neck on a necklace and has a scar running down from his blue eye. It almost seems to glow in the dark, almost." Birch stated, looking Steven directly in the eyes, expressing a seriousness seldom seen in Birch.

Steven 's eyes widened, "Heterochromia? That's really rare. Only about .10% of the population has it. But it happens, it isn't something to worry about. But that stone. I'd like to see it."

"Well, it's black and seems to flash blue across it's surface at random intervals. It was very peculiar. Which also brings me to my last and final piece of information." Birch paused, gathering his thoughts."He carries around two long blades. They are extremely sharp and he demonstrated impressive skill with them both. The metal used in the blades looks nearly identical to the stone around his neck. He also sliced through an entire steel cart with minimal force."

Steven, who was drinking some tea, nearly choked upon hearing those words. Recovering from his mishap he sputtered, " Blades?! What would a kid be doing with those? Where did he get them? Only collectors own quality blades. The last time blades were used was over one thousand years ago! To carry two of them and be proficient in their use? Is this kid from Kalos? And an entire steel cart? Even pokemon have trouble doing that!"

"Now you see why I called you?" Birch glanced down, sighing. " Steven, I need you to keep an eye on him for a while. Show him around and get him fixed up with some new clothes. I have a feeling he's going to wade into a dangerous situation if left unsupervised."

"I'll try. But i can't do this everytime you encounter a new trainer. He better be a special case. I'm more interested in the stone than him." Steven admitted, unsure of what he would encounter.

"One last thing Steven. I checked medical records and residencies in every directory in Hoenn." Face darkening, Birch continued. "He was basically a ghost up until yesterday. It was like he never existed."

Hearing this Steven looked warily at Birch, concern filled his eyes. Silent, he nodded his head, pondering over the thought of this.

_No one in this day and age isn't listed in a record. Either he was a serious criminal or this guy is something else. This is far from disturbing, it's downright terrifying. Armed, dangerous, and young. That's just asking for trouble. Hopefully he makes it in one piece._

Ending the call with Birch, Steven paced around his desk, and stopped at the window of his Devon office. Looking towards the direction of Littleroot town, the same feeling of uneasiness welled up in him too.

_I hope you're still alive when you get here, Riven._ _Whoever you are. I better not be wasting my time._

* * *

His chances of survival were dwindling into single digits now. The scyther had attacked. Three were brought down in the first wave, two by Riven's blades and the other by an ice beam from his absol.

Parrying a scythe, Riven turned around, thrusting his blade into another scyther's abdomen, releasing a gush of blood and fluid. A scythe came down, aiming for his head, before it was stopped by a psychic force. Taking advantage of the moment, Riven flipped the blade in his hand and thrust it upward, impaling the scyther through the bottom of the chin, where the blade emerged out of the scyther's skull.

His Torchic threw off two other scythe attempting to X scissor him from behind with a steady stream of ember, their thoraxes burning away, making the scyther gasp in pain. Riven was slicing through scyther after scyther with Bib's help, who was stopping the sharp chitin from reaching his trainer and confusing bugs farther away, prompting them to attack their own kind.

Bug after bug fell but another took it's place, fresh and ready to fight. Haona tried her best, freezing wings and immobilizing the bugs, allowing her to easily slit their throats with her horn. She was beginning to tire, as was Torchic, Bib, and Riven.

_Just too many._ Haona thought, when she felt a sharp agonizing pain in her side. A scyther had slashed her side, not deep enough to slice through bone but deep enough to leave a bleeding gash in it's place. Raising it's other appendage to finish her off, a blade suddenly emerged through it's throat, spraying blood in front of it.

Kicking the scyther off his blade, Riven noticed the wound on the absol's side. It was large and she was losing a lot of blood. A puddle began to collect at her feet, he needed to get her help. And soon. Standing over her, he stood his ground waiting for more bugs to charge them. Slashing and stabbing through carapaces and thoraxes, Riven was left a bloody mess, cut up by their sharp appendages and covered in crimson fluid. Bib was visibly exhausted, exerting himself to stop blades from killing their trainer. Torchic was running out of steam, her embers growing weaker and weaker, driving the scyther back less and less.

As Riven was occupied with two other bugs, another one descended behind him, raising it's glowing scythe, ready to kill her trainer with a charged x scissor. Feeling a sudden and intense urge to protect her friends, her horn glowed a light green and extended , becoming a large green blade the size of her body.

She had learned mega horn. Jumping to her feet, with the last of her strength, she swung her head viciously, horn now a large blade, slicing cleanly through the scyther, bisecting it into two parts. It fell onto the floor, now a bleeding disgusting mess. Too tired to continue, Haona blacked out from fatigue and blood loss.

Seeing his friend fall unconscious, Bib felt furious. He did not want to lose another friend. No. He would not lose his family like he had before. This time he would fight. Resolve coursed through him, as strong as well made steel, and his body began to glow a brilliant white light.

The scyther stopped their assault, momentarily reveling in the brilliant display. Bib's body changed into that of a small lithe figure, resembling a little girl. Now filled with more psychic power, Bib lifted his hands, causing the scyther's blades to move according to his will. Raising their blades with psychic power, he placed them at their throats and swung his hand horizontally. Nearly fifteen scyther fell to the floor, profusely bleeding from the throat, killing themselves with their own blades.

The scyther swarm, now only harboring a few scyther, began to retreat, knowing that this prey was too difficult to kill. Flying away, Bib fainted, having used up too much psychic power in such a short time. Torchic was also barely hanging on, feathers now red with blood.

Riven was shaking, bleeding from his arms, legs and face. A large cut ran down from his right pectoral to his hip, bleeding but not deep enough to cause major damage to his internal organs. He had lost a vast amount of blood as well but his only concern were for his pokemon. Looking at Haona's rapidly deteriorating state, he fed her a sitrus berry, which helped to slow the bleeding.

Picking her up in his arms, he started to run forward, staggering and panting in exhaustion and blood deficiency. He ran like the wind, not stopping for a second.

_I will not let her die. I will not let her die. Do not die on me now, White Queen._

* * *

Seeing the mid sized town ahead, his legs began to quiver and ache. He could not go on much longer. He had lost too much blood and was too tired to continue. Arriving in the town, he set the absol down and dropped to his knees, shouting for help at the top of his lungs. The shout used up the last of his remaining energy and he collapsed, a bloody stained mess on the towns concrete foundation.

Townspeople rushed toward the sound of the scream, noticing a man and a badly wounded absol on the floor, bleeding significantly. A sad looking torchic chirped at them, asking for help. Horrified, the citizens called the hospital and the pokemon center, calling for a serious emergency.

The paramedics arrived and cursed at what they saw. Gruesome couldn't even begin to describe the extent of the absol and it's trainer's wounds. Loading them onto the truck and inserting IV's and medicine into their veins, they carried them off to the hospital. They needed immediate attention, their time was ticking.

In the hospital, the doctors tore off the young man's armor and began surgery. The fact he was still alive was a miracle.

_Any normal person would have already been dead. Whatever did this to him nearly killed him. He barely got away with his life._ The doctor grimaced. _Let's just hope he survives the night._

At the pokemon center, nurse joy and other doctors were desperately trying to save the absol's life. The gash was massive and she had suffered numerous other cuts along her body. Her blood loss was substantial and was now at critical levels, she was hanging by a thread.

Suddenly, the sound they all dreaded came, she was flat lining.

Her heart had stopped.

Nurse Joy screamed, " Get me the defibrillator!" _Please, please let this work._

Rain began to fall as night set in, leaving an ominous atmosphere in Oldale.


	5. Recovery

The doctors emerged from the operating room, slightly relieved but still worried. The two paramedics that brought the young man in and a few other bloody citizens stood in the hallway, requesting an update on his condition.

The paramedic, a short man with a bushy mustache, asked first. "How's he doing now? Is he gonna make it?"

The doctor, Dr. Page, sighed and placed his hands in his white coat. "We've managed to stabilize his condition so his life isn't in immediate danger anymore. However, surprises do occur."

"Ah that's good then." The paramedic shifted, unsure about whether to ask his next question. Deciding that he needed to know , he inquired, " Do you know what did this?"

Dr Page wanted to know as well. However, any wild pokemon could have done this, it was hard to know for sure. Many bug pokemon had bladed body parts or arms capable of cutting. Page clarified, "No. We don't know what kind of wild pokemon could have done this."

"Yes we do." Another doctor emerged from the operating room, wearing blue scrubs. He was an older man around his fifties, with graying hair at the sides. He looked disturbed and a bit sick, having just seen the boy's injuries.

"Dr. Royce. What makes you say that?"

"Well, just look at the sheer amount of injuries he sustained. And what _kind_ of injuries they were." His voice grew deeper, giving more weight to his words. "Twenty seven cuts and slashes across his legs, arms, face, and torso. All of which were done by a bladed weapon of some sort. There is no way that a trainer or criminal did this, the cuts were much too large and were irregularly shaped. A pokemon did this." Wild pokemon did not usually hunt on the main roads, many of them were wary enough of humans to actually avoid the main roads. Attacks like this were uncommon at the worst of times.

"Well that maybe so but what pokemon?" asked Dr. Page, listening intently to Royce's hypothesis. The older man was fairly good at deducing things like this. He was an ex detective after all, before he went back to medical school to become a surgeon. He could trust his assessment. Granted, no one could accurately guess what happened but it was worth a try.

"I'm assuming that it wasn't beedrill. They typically leave stab wounds not slash wounds. The only other pokemon capable of large swarms is…..Damn. The only other pokemon capable of that is a scyther."

Everyone in the room gasped, knowing just how deadly hungry swarms of scyther were. They'd lost good people to them in the past. Trainers and normal citizens alike. The scyther just swooped in and shredded them to pieces. No one really survived to tell the tale. The last had been heart breaking. Three young trainers traveling together were cut down by presumably, the same swarm. They were so young too, the tender age of eleven, going back to Littleroot to visit family. Obviously, they never made it.

"Scyther? Holy shit. Why didn't he run? Even experienced trainers have been overwhelmed by scyther swarms before. He was just a starter! He couldn't possibly take them on!" Royce exclaimed, appalled by the trainer's carelessness. He knew most young men were reckless and impulsive but not quite like this.

"Page. Don't be so quick to judge. Scyther are quick, too quick for a human. Even the _fastest _human couldn't hope to outrun a single scyther. If he tried, he would have been cut down soon enough. He stood and fought, and because of that he's alive. Of course, he was carrying two blades. Sharp too."

"Swords? What does he need swords for?"

"Does it matter? Imagine if he wasn't carrying them Page."

Page grimaced, acknowledging the fact that it was probably the entire reason why this kid wasn't dead yet. "Okay. Point."

Royce turned to the paramedics, "What about his absol? Any news?" It had arrived in a far more dire state and it was bleeding much more than the young man was. He'd have to go check up on it soon.

The paramedics shook their heads slowly. There had been no news coming from the pokemon center. The doors were closed but the lights were still on in the operating room, they were still fighting to save the absol's life. Nurse Joy declined to comment on the pokemon's state, tears visible in her eyes as she spoke with a shaky voice, urging them to come back later.

Dr. Royce turned his gaze towards the floor. "I see. Well. I'm going to head down there and check up on it. I want to be able to tell the young man what condition his absol's in after he wakes up. Hopefully alive." Excusing himself, he walked towards the exit. "If anything comes up, don't hesitate to holo cast me. I'll come as soon as I can."

After watching him leave, the rest of the concerned citizens and doctors stood in the lobby, awkward silence spreading throughout the room. It was broken by a woman, who asked how this even happened.

A man answered her question, giving her details of the terrifying experience. "I saw him come through the gates, he was limping and panting real heavy. He was carrying a bloody absol in his arms and was basically dripping blood like a damned fountain. I've never seen so much blood in my life. It was …something else." He shuddered, remembering the sight. " Anyway, he screamed and then collapsed. His kirlia was out cold in his pack and his torchic was the only thing that wasn't knocked out or dying. Hell, it could barely stand. They must have fought hard, really hard."

The woman cupped her hands over her mouth. She imagined her boy, who was about to turn ten that year, coming into Oldale a bloody mess. Her eyes started to water, and soon sobs were heard. Other concerned parents also pictured their children ending up like that, which made them very uneasy about letting their children go off on their own at such an age. A nearly fully grown teenager with three pokemon and weapons couldn't hold them off. What would a young, unarmed little child do?

* * *

The rain fell outside of Oldale hospital, rivulets of water running down the windows of Riven's room. The steady drumming of the water woke him from a drug induced sleep. He opened his eyes slowly, feeling immensely sluggish and disoriented. His entire body ached like mad and his head felt like someone had bludgeoned him with a hammer.

White walls surrounded him and equipment similar to the ones found in Birch's lab were scattered around the room. Strange beeps filled the room and a strange smell reached his nostrils. It was unpleasant and nauseating, making his head spin. He was still very weak and could not move much at all at the present moment. He felt useless. Not being able to move around, he glanced at the window, watching the rain.

_I hate the rain. I always have. It is so gloomy and depressing. Like the world itself cries in sorrow. The sky is not vibrant but dull and dreary_. He sighed_. _

A nurse came in and jumped, seeing him awake. She ran out of the door and returned a minute later with a doctor. Forcing painful memories back into his brain, Riven turned his head weakly towards the man, unable to do much else.

The doctor then spoke, "Young man. I need to ask you some questions. Do you mind?" Riven shook his head side to side, giving permission to the doctor to ask him anything about the attack.

"Do you remember what happened?" Riven nodded. The doctor continued, "Alright. What do you remember?

Feeling drowsy, Riven opened his lips, "Traveling…..buzzing….s-stop." He coughed violently. "buzzing….scyther….at-t-t-ack…pain…absol." Remembering the critical condition in which his absol was in, he tried to get up, feeling only immense pain.

"Stop! You are still healing! If you move around too much you will reopen your wounds and bleed out again. Do you want that?" The doctor said, scolding Riven's reckless behavior.

Riven slumped back into the mattress, feeling helpless, feeling worried about his absol. She was his friend. He wanted to know how she was doing. Looking the doctor in the eye, Riven gritted his teeth and asked the doctor, " Ab…..absol…..how?"

The doctor's face shut down, looking back at the nurse, then back at Riven. "I'm sorry but we haven't received any updates from the pokemon center since you arrived last night. We will inform you of anything regarding your absol. Please excuse us."

Riven clenched his teeth and his fists together, head crashing into the pillow. He was sitting here recovering while White Queen could be dying or worse_. If she dies, I will go back there and kill every single one of them until there are none left. I swear it. They will not take her from me._ He thought to himself, looking at the rain outside. His body was covered in white bandages and he was dressed in a white hospital gown. White everywhere. He hated this place_. I do not want to return to this place ever again. The colors and the smells are all wrong, all they do is reek of death and suffering._

Leaving the room, the doctor headed back out into the lobby.

"He woke up at least." The doctor informed everyone. "He's still weak from the drugs but I'm surprised he's healed that quickly. He may only need one week before we remove the stitches. His healing rate is quite remarkable. He must have one powerful immune system."

"That's good news."

"At any rate, Dr. Royce was right. The boy confirmed it was a scyther swarm. Honestly, if it weren't for the leather he was wearing, his wounds would have been far more severe. It was already badly damaged but it did take most of the damage for him. I don't know whether to say he has luck or that he has none at all." Page paused, "I mean seriously. What kind of luck do you have to have to get attacked by a rabid scyther swarm on your first day as a trainer? By Arceus, the legendaries must hate him."

The people in the lobby nodded in agreement, wondering what cruel beast could do such a thing. Feeling much better now that the young man was on the road to recovery, the people headed back to their homes.

The doctors watched them go and scoffed. One moment they act like they are his parents and the next they just leave him to his own devices like an abandoned child. "Hypocrites," Page hissed, bothered by such fake concern.

Opening his holo caster, he dialed Dr. Royce to receive any news on the kid's absol. Royce picked it up after twenty seconds. _Always so punctual_, Page mused.

"Hello Dr. Royce. I've got good news. The boy woke up and is on his way to recovery. He'll need about a week to fully recover and then we can take his stitches off." He flashed a smile, which quickly faded when he saw Royce's tired face.

"Hey, you look exhausted. What happened there?"

Royce blinked a couple of times, licking his dry lips as he formulated words to describe last night's events. "The absol is incredibly stubborn. And she nearly scared us to death a couple times. We didn't sleep a wink at all, we kept expecting another incident."

Page laughed a bit, wondering why a straight laced guy like Royce would say that.

"Treating it-her, was a rollercoaster." Royce rubbed his eyes, trying to ward off the sleepiness. "She flat lined three times."

Page stammered, unable to reply coherently. _Three times?! Usually most people or pokemon are done at one or two. But three? This absol _really_ didn't want to die. Her will to live must be incredibly strong. Heh. Just like her trainer._ I guess that some pokemon really did resemble their trainers. Both of them are incredibly stubborn to have lived through that, go critical and keep on kicking. He had to commend them, it was impressive.

"She just flat out refused to die, Page. She kept coming back again and again. She hung onto her thread with a vice last night. She's fortunately stable now. Hopefully no surprises anymore. I'm done with surprises." Royce rubbed his eyes again. " She's receiving rapid recovery treatment at this moment." Royce concluded. _Now maybe I could get some fucking rest._ Shutting off the holo caster, Royce dumped himself on the couch in the waiting room, falling asleep within seconds.

_Fucker hung up on me._ Page thought, smiling to himself. Looking out of the lobby window, the rain had subsided and the sun shone through, creating a beautiful rainbow. Oldale no longer had a dark gloom lingering over it, now replaced by a cheerful aura like always. Walking back to the boy's room, he whistled gleefully, ready to deliver the good news.

Opening the door, he peered through the door and noticed the young man wide awake, blankly staring at the ceiling. He looked bored out of his mind and an emptiness of life could be seen in his eyes.

Momentarily forgetting the trainer's situation he asked ,"Hey what's going on? Why the long face?" Absolutely _wrong_ question to ask a patient. He forgot the number one rule of being a doctor, never ask how a patient's day is going, if they're here, it's not by choice. He flinched, expecting the boy to erupt in a fit of rage like most teenagers do. Instead, what he got was something that scared him stiff.

Riven slowly turned to him looking into the doctor's eyes. Riven's eyes were not like a normal person's anymore. His eyes promised cold murder. That look could drill holes through a person's damned _soul_.

Riven spoke up, coldly furious. "Do you know how to get rid of a body, Doctor?"

"Errrrr…no?"

"Because I do." A simple statement.

It pretty much translated to, _Ask me another stupid question and I will feed you your teeth with a sharp object. _Terrifying, but effective nonetheless.

Pace, who was now sweating rather furiously, nodded his head in agreement, unconsciously stepping back a few feet. He stuttered to speak before letting out a short statement. "S-S-Sh-She's alive."

The young man's face lit up instantly and his eyes instantly returned to normal, losing the hollowness Page had seen the moment before. He tried to get up but yelled in response to the pain of his wounds. The white bandage covering his largest wound now became slightly reddish, he had reopened his wound with the sudden motion. Growling lowly, the boy slammed back into the bed, nearly tearing his hair out in frustration. _I want to see her. I want to see if she is alive and well. She may be a stubborn little queen but she is my friend. One of the few I have made in a very , very long time. Guess I need to be patient until I recover sufficiently. _

Accepting defeat, Riven motioned for the doctor to leave, which Page did without hesistation. He definitely was not going to stick around with a scary _thing _like that. _I felt bad for this guy? The kid is a freaking psycho! Do I know how to hide a body? What kind of fucking question is that? _Shaking himself off, he walked into the smoking area and fired up a cigarette. _Damn crazy, that one._

* * *

A nurse and a few others were now stitching his wound again. Great. _This is only the first day too._ Thinking about staying bedridden for a week made him grow even more restless. He was useless and uncomfortable. He wanted to _move_. Staying idle for extended periods of time largely aggravated him.

The long idle waits he endured for months back in the regiment were the _epitome_ of torture. Nothing to do. Just clean out the ditches, sharpen some swords, pick some dirt out of your fingernails, stare at the campfire for hours on end, and wonder when this damned conflict was going to end. At the time, it seemed so foolish, waiting for a one thousand year old war to end so soon. Now he was not so sure. But if a person were to ask what was the worst thing about war, every soldier would agree that it was the accursed waiting. Everyone hated it.

Riven turned his head to the right, looking at the clouds outside. Everything seemed peaceful in this world, except for murderous swarms of pokemon that wanted a piece of you. Literally. People were not killing each other, or exchanging knife edged words that cut like real blades. They were genuinely friendly, something he did not have the luxury of in his world. That world was simple. _Kill or be killed. There was no in between. Feels…strange, not being there. It was all I knew._

He knew this was not his world. Not anymore. Nothing was the same. On one hand he was glad, but on the other, he felt empty. No purpose, no goal.

_What will I do when I find my answers? Shall I continue onto this pokemon league? _ So many uncertainties, not enough definitive answers. For now, all he could do was wait.

Resting his head on the pillow, Riven tried to will himself to sleep, which did not seem to work very well. The more he thought about sleep, the less sleepy he actually felt. He had issues falling asleep, partly due to nightmares and trauma he sustained during the war, watching his comrades die. The only reason he fell asleep was because of the "drugs" they used on him. Futuristic remedies sure worked rather amazingly.

They could put someone to sleep and numb pain, something that would have worked magnificently well when limbs became infected and needed amputation. Biting on a cloth until your teeth nearly shattered sounded horrifying. Luckily he had managed to avoid most damage during his service. He had scars, sure, but he always took the utmost care dressing his wounds to prevent infection. Burning the wound worked well but these disinfectants worked wonders, while not permanently destroying tissue._ Quite remarkable. Medicine sure has improved._

A bitterweet smile came to his lips. _Progress. Any time someone tried to make the world a better place, someone else just came in and ruined it._ Teeth gritted together. _Just like what happened to my family_. _Try to change an era and reactionaries rip you to pieces. _Someone had to try. One thousand years of war never did anyone any good. By the looks of this world, someone _had._ And succeeded.

"_Change is a frightening thing,"_ his father had once said. He was a proud man, strong and collected, with a cunning wit and tactical brilliance that inspired fear in his enemies. Our foes would call him the Devil's Hand, whose tactics would decimate entire regiments of soldiers, even armies. _"Miniscule amounts of change alter very little and take years and even decades to bring about something greater. This is the most effective form of change as it gives others the chance to adapt and adjust to these fluctuations. They do not feel threatened but rather, embrace change. Tempers do not flare and wars do not erupt. However, this chain can be easily broken. One opposing decision and the process is degraded, requiring more and more time to fix, eventually spiraling into chaos. As you see here."_

Riven would stare at him in wonder, hoping one day to become a master tactician like his father before him.

His father would point to their city and continue. _"However, on the opposing side, there is change on a massive and grand scale. It is the most controversial and most radical form of change. The alteration is quick, violent, and ultimately irrevocable. Such an act could shift the world out of balance and transition a new era, one for the better or worse. This by definition, terrifies people. It threatens their way of life, the only thing they know." _His father looked back at him, like a master teaching a student_, "Remember this Riven, the thing that frightens man and beasts the most is not death nor having enough to eat, but the aspect of the unknown. That is why the fear us, Riven. That is why they fear the dark and also why they fear change. They are walking blind into something they know nothing about."_

Riven, only seven at the time, was confused, his father's profound words lost on his young mind. However those words would stay with him forever, and would guide him through some of the most important decisions of his life that were yet to come.

His father looked at the map, eyes fixated on the enemy's cities. _"Such change, is sometimes necessary. When views are divided and small picks are insufficient, a furious blow must be dealt. If it brings the entire world to our doorstep then so be it. We will pay that price. It is the risk that comes with such radical action. It must be done, to ensure that we do not destroy ourselves. Ponder this Riven, for you must decide your path as well."_

"_Will you chose to be a river, carving canyons over the decades, or will you be the eruption of a furious volcano, changing the land and the earth in an instant? Think my son. Think and choose."_

Those were his father's last words before the Rose clan raided the city, torching it to the ground and killing all of it's inhabitants, including the royal family. All except one. He had wandered out to the forest that day, that's how they missed him.

Decades of work, craftsmanship, history, culture, and technology lost in a single night. Their entire people snuffed out like a flame under water, extinguished like a light. His father was right, they feared them. And what his father and the rest of them were trying to do.

_But all of that does not matter anymore. It is gone. Lost to time. What should I do now? What next?_

Mind heavy with thoughts, he drifted off to sleep.

* * *

Haona's eyes fluttered open, taking in a room unfamiliar to her. She was on top of a metal bed, covered almost entirely in a bandage. It was painful to move, painful to breathe. She felt alone unsure of where she was. Where were Bib, Torchic, and Riven? Why weren't they here?

Her limbs wouldn't move, they felt like heavy logs tied to her. The only thing she could move were her eyes and mouth, she felt trapped in her own body. It was like an electric pokemon's paralysis but far worse. She panicked, causing a monitor on the screen next to her to start beeping uncontrollably, monitoring her heart rate.

Nurse Joy came crashing in, startled by the sudden spike in the absol's heatbeat. Saving it's life had been one of her most intense tests yet, driving her to the absolute edge of her wits and ability. She noticed it's eyes darting around the room before locking with hers, full of mortification. Sighing in relief, Joy walked up to the absol's bed and placed a gentle hand on her soft white fur.

"Shh…Shhhh." Joy smiled, reassurance and kindness radiating from the simple gesture. This seemed to calm the absol down slightly. "It's alright. Don't stress yourself out too much okay? It's just a strong paralysis medicine we used so your wound wouldn't hurt as much." Joy ruffled her fur. "We don't have to use it if you like but don't move around too much, it can reopen the wound we worked hard to close. Also, the pain might be unbearable if we do remove it."

Haona visibly relaxed, heart rate gradually dropping back to a normal healthy beat. Joy had a magical way of calming pokemon down. Her smile and her touch seemed to melt worries and erase fear. However, she still wanted to know where her trainer and her friends were. Straining herself with a dry throat, she cried , "Ab…sol…absol."

Although Joy couldn't understand the absol's strained speech, she knew that she missed her friends. "Your trainer is still recovering at the hospital. He will be released in about five days, judging from Dr Royce's information regarding his condition. He was hurt pretty bad, but not as bad as you. He's as stubborn as you are." A light hearted giggle. "Your friends, the kirlia and the torchic, are in the lobby. They've been worried sick these past five days. They care about you a lot. Bonds like that aren't easy to come by. It's heart warming." She smiled again. " I guess that's why I love this job so much. I get to see the bonds between a trainer and pokemon. It makes all the gruesome and tiring experiences memorable and well worth it."

With that, Joy turned around and walked out of the room, closing the door slowly. Joy was always respectful to pokemon, treating them like she would a person. They were friends not pets.

But the female absol just wouldn't stay out of her mind. She thought reflectively, _She's strong. All of them are. They are going to do something amazing one day, I just know it._

The door shut and Haona was once again by herself. Joy's words brought serene relaxation to her mind, dissolving worrisome troubles. She rested her head on the soft pillow underneath her, now enjoying the feeling. She wanted to see her friends but she knew she had to wait. She didn't want to scare them by suddenly reopening her wound and gushing blood everywhere.

The thought sent memories flooding back into her mind. Back to when they were fighting the scyther.

She remembered the pain in her side as one of the scythers blades raked across her side, cutting her open. She remembered Bib desperately trying to stall the scyther blades, torchic blasting them away with embers. But most of all, she remembered seeing her trainer. The way he stood over her like a protective angel, not daring to let any of the scyther touch her. She saw every painful slash he took for her, every scyther he cut down just to save her, to save all of them. Haona already had respect for him ever since he saved them from the mightyena. With this, she felt even more admiration for him.

Before, she never thought she would ever trust humans because of what they did to her life by taking her parents away. The depressive episodes were unbearable and miserable, tempting her with thoughts of taking it all away with one quick dive into the canyons below. However, now she saw what some humans were really like. Some were kind and considerate, like Nurse Joy, and others that were selfless like Riven. At least for her.

It felt liberating, to replace hateful thoughts with new ones, new ones full of hope and trust. She now understood what Bib felt like, back in the forest. To see someone else wash away your pains and demand nothing back made you want to pour your heart and soul into them. Making them happy made you happy. Leaning on each other like a scale, balancing each other out. Was that what it was to be a trainer's pokemon? It brought a smile to her lips.

_When I see that quirky human again, I'm going to tackle him._

_All that's left is the wait._

* * *

The final days of his recovery blurred together for Riven. The last five days he spent his time watching the Hoenn News channel and talking to his pokedex. Apparently it was some sort of "artificial intelligence" that thought and felt like a human being. It was fascinating, seeing the extent at which technology had grown.

His pokedex was named Charles and spoke in a seemingly Curian accent. Although the Curians were one of his family's most bitter enemies, he had to admit their eloquent way of speaking words made them sound very intellectual and suave. Charles was a polite "person" and was actually responsible for warning him about the scyther a few days ago. Something he was grateful for.

Flipping the pokedex back, he bid a good sleep to Charles and took a metal box suspended by cables down to the lobby. It was an elevator, a magnificent and efficient contraption. It made it far easier to ascend and descend, and saved time. He only dreamt of having it when he still lived in his parent's palace. Stairs were torturous at the best of times and only served to make one hot and sweaty.

Now in the lobby, dressed in his normal attire albeit significantly damaged, he walked out of the hospital doors, waving his hand up in the air before shooting a glance at Dr Page, who cowered slightly.

Feeling fresh air fill his lungs and not the smell of disinfectant, he stretched his arms and legs, reveling in the cool breeze and warm sun. Spotting a building with a red roof, he merrily walked to it's doors, excited to see his friends again.

Before he was fully inside, a white blur collided with him, tackling him to the floor. Licking his face once then rubbing her face on his, the now fully healed White Queen was delighted to see him. Riven laughed, seeing her gleeful reaction.

She continued licking his cheek. "Ah hey. I miss-Gah! I missed you too, White Queen." Looking past her, he saw a smiling Kirlia and a joyful Torchic standing a few feet away. Riven scowled, " Mischief, Torchic! What are you doing? Come here!"

The Kirlia and the Torchic walked up to him, happy to see him alive and well. Their trainer then let out a snort, pointing to Bib, he said , " Hah. You look like a girl. And a ballet dancer at that." Bib responded by psychically flicking a pebble at his head. Torchic chirped, further lightening the reunion of the group.

Riven's laughter died down and now looked at the small fire type with curiosity. "Hey Torchic, I have not had the time to give you a proper name have I?" The orange chick shook it's head, affirmative. "Well, you are a fire type and female. So, do you feel content with the name Aine? It means fire."

The torchic thought for a bit. _It sounds cool, awesome, and mystical at the same time. I like it! Fits too. He has good taste._ She chirped back loudly, confirming her choice.

Riven smirked , pointing to route 102, " Well then. Aine, Mischief, and White Queen, shall we?" His pokemon nodded, eager to get moving again after a week of recovery and idleness. "But first, the doctor told me to go pick up some medicines and supplies at the mart."

Bib face palmed, Haona buried her head in her paws, and Aine frowned slightly. The young trainer reeled his head back, laughing at their exasperated faces. " I will be back soon. Wait for me."

Picking up his supplies: ten potions, five super potions, and ten pokeballs, he put them into his new bag, which he received for free from the clerk. Slinging it over his shoulder, he looked at his friends in front of the store. Grinning like an idiot, he signaled them to follow him, heading towards the town exit to route 102. "To Rustboro!"

_And so the adventure continues._

* * *

**If any of you are wondering what Curian sounds like, just picture a nice _fancy_ English accent. Monocle worthy, I assure you.**


	6. Interaction

Exiting Oldale Town with a bag full of medicines and pokeballs, Riven and his team walked along the main road on route 102. Looking at the metal sign that read "route 102", Riven still could not understand how the signs were cut soperfectly_._ _They must have some serious artisans around._ Turning away from the beautifully cut sign, he walked further ahead, black shoes stepping on the wet ground with an audible _squelch_.

There was an earthy scent in the air due to the rainy weather around Oldale for the past week. Tall grass and ferns grew around the main road, footprints marked the ground along the road, making it easily distinguishable with the surrounding greenery. Tiny footprints were everywhere. Riven could tell that young fledgling trainers passed through this area recently, some tracks were fresh.

This route was similar to route 101 with it's abundance of trees and grass, but was traveled more often, judging by the multitude of tracks along the dirt road. Sweeping the area with his eyes, he looked for threats. No such thing as too careful. After what happened on route 101, Riven was taking _zero_ chances.

That week in the hospital was hellish and painful, both on Riven and his absol. Going back there so soon was definitely _not_ on their to-do lists.

Another surprising feature about this route was that the pokemon were surprisingly bolder. Some linoone and zigzagoon crossed the road, darting between both sides of the forest. It seems like they were playing a game of sorts. Aine looked rather excited, wanting to play tag with the wild pokemon. _Bib and Haona are so lazy. All they do is sit around and rest under the shade. I want to play!_

She was about to run after them until Riven called out to her. "Aine, I know you want to play but we need to get to Rustboro as fast as possible. Nights in the forest can be treacherous, dark types come out then. And they _love_ ambushes." Well, White Queen was also a dark type and he preferred the darkness anyway. Dark types would not be able to sneak up on them so easily. However, that did not lessen their lethality. Mightyenas were common in these parts, according to Charles.

* * *

A few hours of walking later, his pokemon's feet started to ache and he could tell they were getting hungry. Hell, he was getting hungry. He had picked up a bag of pokemon formula mix from the clerk in the pokemart for free as well. Those townspeople were very generous. However, that only covered his pokemon, not him. Of course, he could just eat their formula too but that would be…nasty. Placing a hand on his chin, he thought of any wild pokemon he saw earlier that would make a good meal. "Linoone and Zigzagoon are much too bony and their meat is tasteless. Best find another." Sitting on a rock with a pensive stare, a pokemon came to mind. A furret. " Furret are rather tasty…."

Deciding that he would hunt himself a furret, he shot up from the rock, surprising his pokemon, who were currently devouring the formula. Apparently they liked the stuff. Aine was flat on her back, belly full of food, White Queen was still stuffing her face, and Mischief sat under a tree, telekinetically floating the food towards him.

"You lazy little sod."

Mischief only smirked, putting another puff into his mouth. Riven rolled his eyes and grinned slightly, walking over to a small stump. Arming himself with his blades and his trusty bow, he turned back towards the group. "Hey. I am going to go hunt a bit. Stay here. Do not go anywhere. Seriously. Stay." Taking one step, he did a double take. "There." He then disappeared into the brush.

Aine let out a satisfied chirp while wiggling her feet."Wow, I'm so full. I had no idea that pokefood was that good."

Haona gave her a dubious look. "What, didn't they feed you at the lab or something?"

"Well ,yeah. Sometimes. I was mostly stuck inside that pokeball. In there, a pokemon's hunger is less noticeable. I didn't feel all that hungry when I was inside the pokeball's fake world. I did feel it after I got out though. They fed me really dry food, it sucked."

"Ah. I guess I didn't know that. Riven keeps us outside our pokeballs most of the time. He thinks it's good if we get some exercise, that's why he keeps you outside too , Aine."

"Well I'm glad! I like walking and running and playing! I think fighting will be fun too," the torchic chirped happily.

Bib and Haona nearly choked on their puffs_. Fighting? Fun? What part of almost dying is fun?_ Both pokemon shot a questioning glare at the small orange colored chick.

"What? You've never battled before? It's really fun! It's like a game, and when you win, you feel really great,"Aine recalled, judging from her sparring matches with that dick mudkip and her friend Veer, the treecko. "Also like that scyther fight a couple days ago!"

Bib glanced at Haona, a glance that said , _Should I tell her or should you?_ Pointing her head at the joyful chick, the absol gestured Bib to continue.

Clearing his throat, Bib spoke up. "Aine, that wasn't a regular fight like you're used to."His face turned serious."That was a real life or death fight. It was us or them. That took Riven and Haona a week to recover from."So young and naïve, they were young too but they had been through some things. "I know it's hard to tell the difference but since you're the newest member of the team, we need you to understand that there are things that want you dead out there. If a time comes when that happens again, don't wait. Just take them out."

Torchic's eyes were now as wide as saucers, terrified. Bib scratched his green hair, "Listen, me and Haona, every battle we've been in has been…..lethal. We know how to kill, we've done it before. We've never had to hold back before. So ….. erm, about this battling business. How do you do it? Non-lethal I mean."

Aine, now slightly more calm, explained, "Well, I guess you try to hurt the other pokemon but not hard enough to seriously hurt them. Knock them out but not kill. Listen to your trainer, that way your instincts won't make you do something nasty. That's what Veer used to say."

"Whose Veer?" Haona asked, wondering which of the other two starters it was.

"Oh. He was a treecko in the lab were you guys found me. He was pretty strong. I never managed to beat him even though I had the advantage, and he was really wise too." The torchic saddened a little. "I still kinda miss him. He taught me a lot." Shaking her head, she suddenly brightened, " You two will do fine! I'm sure of it! You already have some experience so your first trainer battle shouldn't be too difficult!"

Haona and Bib smiled. The hyperactive and joyful little torchic's words sent relief down their shoulders. It couldn't be that bad right? That is until Aine gave Haona one final piece of advice.

"Oh, yeah. Miss Haona? You're going to have to dull your sharp thing."

Bib snickered slightly, which prompted Haona to kick some sand into his face. He sputtered trying to get the sand out of his mouth. Torchic laughed softly.

"You can call me Haona, and it's called a horn. Can I ask why?"

"Well, Veer said that pokemon with blades or sharp…err…horns, need to dull them so they won't hurt the other pokemon too much. They have to be extra careful because if they cut an artery then there will be serious problems for them and their trainer. Or something like that."

"Or something like that?" Haona wasn't really sure if she could trust what the torchic had to say. After all, it was absurd to dull your horn just to fight in an official battle. She _liked _having it razor sharp. That was her pride as an absol. Absol's loved their horns. She wasn't going to dull it for some stupid non-lethal battle.

_Hmph, as if._

The torchic looked at her elder and lazily replied, " What? I was eating at the time! I didn't pay attention to _all _of it." With that, she turned to the side, adjusted herself on the ground and went to sleep.

Bib, now having recovered from his spasm, momentarily gave Haona a glare before his face relaxed and he sighed. "Well, you're going to have to figure something out. You don't want to kill a pokemon on accident after all. Then you'd get put down," Bib reasoned.

The female absol released an annoyed huff. "We can dull our horns before we attack. It's something my mom showed me before she…you know. We coat the horn with a kind of energy type thing and it dulls the horn a bit, leaving it sharp enough to cut through skin but not bone or deeper." She rolled her eyes. "But it's annoying to do."

The psychic shrugged. "Well it's a start."

Suddenly, Haona shot up, fully alert. Her horn was tingling. Trouble was coming. It happened before they got attacked by the mightyena, then the scyther, and now this. Except she knew it wasn't meant for her.

Bib noticed and asked,"Trouble?" Haona nodded.

She then snickered and gave a toothy grin,"Yep. But not the lethal kind, the annoying kind. And we aren't the ones that are getting it."

The kirlia fully understood and smirked. "Oh boy, our trainer is in for something isn't he. Heh. We're gonna enjoy this."

* * *

It had been about thirty minutes since he had left his pokemon at camp. In the time spent walking through the forest's thick brush, he had not so much as seen a single furret. Plenty of linoones, but no furrets.

_This is frustrating. Damn it. The sun is going to set soon_. Furrets are not nocturnal creatures. They would not be out during the night. He had to catch one quick as they went back to their nests. Otherwise it was an empty stomach for the night and part of the next day. And walking miles on an empty stomach made people straight up _cranky_.

A bushy tail whipped past his face, snapping him out of his thoughts. Focusing his eyes on the tail he realized what it belonged to. _A furret! You are mine you furry beast._ He began to run after it.

The furret, noticing the rather large weapon in the human's arms, turned away in terror, jumping from tree to tree to get away. The chase had begun.

Riven chased the furret through thickets of tall grass, dodging and weaving through trees in an attempt to get a shot at the furry animal. However, it was fast and adept at moving through the vegetation. His only strategy was to tire it out, it would eventually. Jumping was strenuous on the body's calves and legs, which required a lot of energy_. It is only a matter of time, then you are mine you tasty little creature._

The furret began to tire, its legs hurting from jumping so much. The human was relentless and pretty fast for something with two legs. It also wasn't tired at all. The furret then jumped to a high tree after losing the human in between two trees_. I should be safe up here_, it thought. Bad mistake. A whizzing sound was heard, almost like swooping swellow.

_Thunk._

The arrow hit home and landed right between the furret's eyes, killing it instantly. It had been a pretty far shot, it was the only one he had. He needed to stay hidden so the pokemon could think it was safe. He knew it would stop if it thought it lost him. _And it was about?...60 feet? Not bad._

Impressed with his shot, he walked over to his kill and was about to retrieve his arrow when he saw something out of the corner of his eye. He saw a blonde girl with her hair tied in a bun. She was wearing…well, he did not really know _what _she was wearing. People from the future wore strange clothing. But her face was the part that was the most noticeable. Her mouth was wide open, her jaw looked like it hit the floor, and her eyes were as wide as the moon itself. She looked horrified.

She had a pokeball in her hand, a regular sized one, meaning that she was trying to catch it. Now it was well….kind of dead. Riven had to admit, the irony of the situation was pretty hilarious. Being a soldier for so long, his humor had grown quite dark. He felt like laughing hysterically but composed himself. Staring her down, they remained like that a couple seconds, motionless and silent. She wore that stupid face so it was pretty difficult for Riven to keep a straight face, until she suddenly screamed.

"WHAT THE FUCK? HOLY SHIT, YOU JUST KILLED THAT FURRET!"

_Quite a mouth on her, _Riven silently mused. Still staring at her, he gave her a confused look. "Yes, I did. Thank you for stating that."

"YOU JUST KILLED A POKEMON," she repeated. Was she mentally ill or something?

"You just said that," Riven responded blankly, doubting the girl's intelligence. _Are all future people this stupid and loud?_

"YOU CAN'T KILL POKEMON YOU DUMBASS!"

"Why the hell not? And can you stop screaming? Do you want the whole forest to hear you?"

"IT'S A FUCKING CRIME!"

Her screaming was getting a _tad _bit annoying. Usually loud noise in the middle of a now darkening forest was an indication that you really wanted to die. Noise attracted predators. Especially predators who could recognize fear. This girl was beyond stupid_. She is going to wind up dead if she keeps this up._

"That is absurd. What is the punishment? An arm or a leg?" In his world, there was only one crime. Theft. In the end, everything is theft. Depending on the severity of the crime, it would either be a limb, or death. Simple. But killing pokemon for sustenance was a crime? The hell kind of law was that?

The girl looked appalled and commenced her inane screaming once more. "AN ARM OR A LEG? IT'S JAIL YOU FUCKING SAVAGE!" She'd read about these people before in a book. They were savages that killed pokemon and people for food. Unfit for society. Animals, even worse than a raging Ursaring. "Oh god. You're a savage aren't you?"

Riven kneaded his temples, feeling a migraine build up. "No you stupid girl, I am not a savage. I am just trying to get something to eat. Berries can only go so far. Besides, that is my kill. Take it and you _will_ regret it."

His threatening tone made the girl freeze, he was not just a savage. He was insane! Then her stomach betrayed her. It let out a very audible grumbling sound, signaling the savage boy that she was, in fact, as hungry as he was.

An indignant smirk then crept up the boy's face. Oh it pissed her off. _He's acting like he just beat me! Oh. Hell. No._ Furious, she took out a pokeball and yelled," BATLLE ASSHOLE!"

Riven facepalmed. _No doubt about it. This girl is brain dead._ "Are you stupid? It is almost dark, I just secured my dinner, we are both starving, and I have no pokemon with me." _By arceus, why of all people did it have to be me?_

The girl swallowed and contorted her face, trying to find a witty comeback but came back empty handed. She then got a devilish thought that would lead to some food. Hopefully. Raising her head and staring down at the crouched boy with a regal glare, she said, " Well I guess I'll just have to tell the authorities about this. Then they will lock you up for sure. Hmph!"

Riven scowled and shot her a look that could set a water pokemon on fire. _No. She will _not_ pull a White Queen on me. I get enough attitude from her. Two of them? Fuck no._ Standing up to full height, his eyes bored down on her before he replied, "Are you trying to blackmail me? Because if you are, you are going to be _very _disappointed."

_Shit! He caught me. Quick! Bluff!_ Flipping open her pokenav, she showed it to him. "I can call the Petalburg City rangers that a man is hunting pokemon on route 102 right now. I can even tell them how you look like, you savage." Of course she didn't really have their number. But hey it should work right?

"Your pokenav contraption has no battery does it." A lucky guess at best. Remembering a snippet of conversation with Charles during the hospital, he recalled that pokenavs had to be recharged at pokemon centers or held out in the open so they could charge via sun. Most trainers charged them at centers and kept them in their bags most of the time and between exploring caves and thick woods, trainers often wound up having dead batteries.

As if on cue, the girl paled. He had bested her twice, she had no more cards up her sleeve. _I thought all boys were stupid. What is this guy, a detective or something? _Gulping down her pride, she looked away. " Fine, you win. Can I have some of that furret too? I know it's against the law but who cares I'm hungry!"

_Smart choice. After all, it is only illegal if you get caught, _the black haired boy recalled. That had been a lesson from Nemos, who would steal extra bread rations for himself and for Riven. He had been a thief before being caught by a guard patrol and shipped off to the army. He was a kleptomaniac, truth be told.

"Good. Now let me retrieve my arrow and pick this up before a mightyena pack gets a whiff of fresh blood. Things can get…dangerous." Removing his arrow out of the furry pokemon's skull, he slung it's body over his shoulder and motioned the blonde girl to follow him.

The girl did not move. Looking back, he called out, "Why are you still standing there? Get a move on."

"I can't see! It's pitch black," she squeaked.

That was weird. He could see perfectly well. It was a bit darker than usual but it was manageable. Did her eyes work? "You do not see anything? At all? Wave a hand in front of your face" She did. "Can you see your hand? It is pale enough to see it rather clearly, even in the dark."

Repeating herself once again, she yelled, " I CAN'T SEE A FUCKING THING!" How could he see so well in the dark? Even those creepy hex maniacs couldn't see that well in the dark. And they lived in the dark.

"Shut up with the screaming. Arceus, damn it. You want something to come after us? If it does, I am not going to protect you." An exasperated sigh. " Walk forward until you reach me. Stay close and hold onto my cuirass."

_This girl is going to be trouble. Why does this happen to me all the time?_

* * *

The walk back to camp was a complete disaster. This girl tripped and jumped at every single Arceus damned noise that could be heard. Step over a twig? Yelp. Brush past some grass? Stop and yelp. It was irritating. It was making Riven's headache worse.

Her shoulder touched a tree and she screamed. His eardrum nearly ruptured. At his wits end, he stopped and bellowed at her. "Can you shut up!?" She stopped screaming and looked at the floor, only to jump again as she heard a growling sound behind her.

Instantly regretting the outburst, Riven looked around him to see red eyes flashing in the darkness. _Mightyena. Fuck._ Wasting no time, he pulled the girl's hand, "Run!" He ran through the woods, girl clambering behind, red eyes hot on his trail. _Shit. If I keep this up, the mightyena might kill us all. This is going to suck._ Making the best tactical decision he could, he dropped the furret behind him, which the predators began to tear into. He kept running until he saw an orange glow. It was his camp.

Reaching the safety of the fire, he stopped and looked back. _Good bye, sweet food._ His pokemon were all safely asleep, bellies full of food while his was tying itself in knots. Fury building up in his head, he turned to the blonde girl who cowered slightly. "There goes our meal. Back where I started. Wonderful."

The blonde, knowing that she was the reason he lost his dinner and hers, softly replied, "Sorry." He didn't look fazed however, refusing such a pointless apology. Biting her lower lip, she made a bolder apology, "Look, I'll buy you dinner at Petalburg for two days ok?"

Now she was talking. He instantly forgot the incident and whose fault it was. No sense fretting over something that trivial. That just made you age faster. "You got yourself a deal then. You better not be trying to throw me under the tauros though. If I find out, I _will_ find you."

"Ok, fine. You're scary, I get it." Sitting down near the fire, she rubbed her sleeves. " I'm Amy. What's your name?"

Great. She wants to be _friends_. Listening to his better judgement, he gave her an alias. "Gray."

She scowled. What a generic name. It was more than a little lame. It had no vibe and no life. It was a bleak name, for dull people. Knowing this guy? It kinda fit. "Gray. These are your pokemon then?" She looked over the three sleeping figures.

"Yes. That is my torchic, Aine. My kirlia, Mischief. And finally, my absol, White Queen." He replied, nibbling on a blade of grass. He was a weird guy. Kind of like her treecko. He liked putting twigs in his mouth too.

"Why did you call them Mischief and White Queen? Those are really weird names for pokemon."

"Because he's a mischievous little sod," he said, pointing to the sleeping kirlia. He then shifted his gaze to the absol,"And her because she has a regal attitude that irritates me. She gets a kick out of it too."

Looking at the absol, Amy couldn't help but gawk at the absol's sleeping face. "She's beautiful…."

"I guess. I had never encountered an absol before. I only found out what she was when Professor Birch informed me of her species. I saved her and Mischief from a mightyena pack a while ago. Then they would not stop following me. So I made them my pokemon. They did not seem to object so I presume they were fine with it." Taking out two sitrus berries, he tossed her one.

Catching the small berry, she bit into it, savoring its taste. " A sitrus berry! These are pretty good. They have a balanced flavor. Some berries are either too spicy or too dry. Or bitter. Blegh."

"So that is what they are called. I just thought they were yellow fruit." Riven said, looking at his half eaten berry. "Charles had no information on it so I just kept calling them yellow fruit. I was not aware they had a name."

A few minutes of silence went by. Wiping some juice off her mouth, she focused her eyes on the beautiful absol on the ground. "Female absol huh? Absol are pretty rare anywhere, people don't really like them much. Whenever they show up, disaster happens. People think they're the reason for them." Taking another bite of her berry, she added, "But it's a stupid accusation. They don't cause them. They just try to warn people." She frowned a little. "They hunt them sometimes you know. That's why you don't seem them much."

The raven haired trainer looked at his absol. Placing a hand on one of his blades, "If anyone tries to hunt her, I will cut them to pieces. I mean that. She nearly died once. I am not going to live through that again."

Amy smiled warmly. Gray was really attached to his pokemon. He must have not had much friends growing up, based on his scary attitude and stoic face. She wished more trainers were like him. She'd seen some assholes berate and scold their pokemon for losing. They were friends. They shouldn't be treated like that.

"How did you find an absol anyway? I thought they were native to route 120. I heard there was also some in Forina."

"I have not been to either of those. I found her and Mischief on route 101 back when he was still a ralts."

Amy arched a brow. "Route 101? Near Littleroot? What would two pokemon like that be doing there?"

Riven shrugged. "No idea. All I know is they were being attacked by mightyena."

Amy gasped, "How did you fight them off? You didn't have any pokemon!" She then saw the two blades at his hips and her mouth turned upside down into a frown. "Oh."

The trainer caught her eye and plainly said, "Yes. I killed them. I had to." She felt apprehensive, thinking that killing pokemon was wrong, but at the same time she knew he was right. Mightyena didn't just stop.

Riven noticed her melancholy, probably thinking about the morality of killing a pokemon. He let it go. It was not his problem. "Hey. We should go to sleep. We need to be up early tomorrow if we want to catch something more solid to eat. I still want some furret before we reach the next town. Petalburg was it?"

She nodded, her solemn mood now fading. She flipped open her sleeping bag and settled in. She stayed awake a bit before she finally began to drift off to sleep. "G'night, Gray."

He stayed silent, unsure if he should respond. Instead, he only watched her sleeping bag rise and fall with her breaths. Listening to Amy and his pokemon's exhales, he closed his eyes.

* * *

Feeling the early rays of dawn on his skin, Riven opened his eyes. He stretched his limbs, feeling slightly more energized. Looking at the fire, he noticed it had gone out. It was now just a pile of smoking wood pieces and ashes. He stood up looking around the small makeshift camp. His pokemon were still asleep. They must have eaten quite a bit.

He then turned to the left and saw blonde hair sticking out of a body length bag. _I forgot she was here._ The figure inside was a girl he had encountered last night while trying to hunt a furret, which he was forced to sacrifice to save their hides. It was unfortunate and slightly annoying but at least she would get him something to eat at the next city. If it was anything like Altea, food shops would be everywhere. He just had to deal with her until then. He could bear something like that for the time being.

Nudging his pokemon awake, he let them stretch out, shaking off the morning slowness that accompanied deep sleep. Aine recovered the fastest, being the most hyperactive of the group. White Queen was second to wake up, still rubbing her face with her paws. Mischief was last. He was the lazy one after all. Waking him had taken almost three pushes.

Aine exclaimed, "Ooooohh! Another trainer!"

Hearing this, Haona's fur stood on end and she growled, distrusting of the other human. She stopped after Riven made a stopping motion with his hand.

"She is a…friend, White Queen. She means no harm. I am only going to be traveling with her until we reach Petalburg. She promised to buy us food there." Although he hesitated a bit, the offer of free food sealed the deal for Haona. She stopped growling and simply turned away with a huff.

Bib stirred, now rubbing his eyes awake. "What did our trainer find a mate already or what? He works fast."

Haona hit him on the head with her paw. "No you dolt. It's just another trainer he found last night. She's going to give us free food when we get to the next human city."

"That's even better than a mate then!" Bib cheered.

Riven went to go wake the girl as his pokemon were bickering about something, probably his relation with the unfamiliar girl. He nudged her awake. "Wake up. We need to get moving. The sun is up and the furret should be rising in about an hour or two." The blonde yawned and straightened. Her green eyes opened and she squinted, adjusting to the light. She picked herself up and folded the sleeping bag back into her backpack.

"Good morning, Gray."

"Likewise." He replied, before stepping back. He held out his right hand towards his pokemon. "Amy, meet Aine, White Queen, and Mischief. Aine, White Queen, Mischief, meet Amy." The female trainer waved shyly, smiling slightly. His absol stepped forward, sniffing her. She smelled friendly enough. His torchic jumped in place, ecstatically chirping. His kirlia simply bowed respectfully.

"Umm….hi. Nice to meet you." Amy said, still waving her hand gently.

"Now that proper introductions are finished. We have a furret to track," Riven announced, adjusting his bow around his body.

Looking at him in the light, Amy noticed how strange he looked. His clothing was mostly leather, which was badly damaged and colored entirely black. He was wearing shoulder pads that had a strange symbol on them and one of his eyes didn't match the other. He looked scruffy and dangerous. _Like a soldier….._

Dropping the thought, she caught up to him. They were now a little bit aways away from their resting spot. Gray crouched down and inspected the ground, noticing tiny footprints in the soil. "A furret passed through here. The tracks are fresh, it should still be around here somewhere." Apparently he was good at tracking too. Was he a survivalist? Amy knew that guys liked that existed, living in the wilds, becoming 'one' with nature. She always thought they were nuts.

Curious, she asked him a question. "Where did you learn to track? Your father?" Her parents were city dwellers, they couldn't track a stantler to save their lives. So naturally, she had zero experience when it came to the wilderness.

"No. I had to learn. Spent a lot of time in the wild." He gave her a vague answer, knowing that if he told her the truth then she would laugh and call him mad. Luckily, that satisfied the girl's curiosity, allowing the young man to focus on tracking the furret. Spotting a half eaten fern, he got an idea.

Cutting a couple of branches, then tying them together with some extra string in his pack, he placed his creation on the floor, adjacent to the half eaten fern. Taking out a sitrus berry from his bag, Riven placed the berry at the foot of his trap.

Amy looked confused. "What is that?"

"A snare. It will catch small animals that get too close. Makes them easy to kill. Using bait entices them to get close. It is a basic trap, but it works very well."

They hid in some bushes and waited about twenty minutes. Hunting took patience. Then they heard some twigs snap. The trap had triggered and a furret was now caught in it, squirming helplessly. Gray then took a small, wicked looking knife out a pocket in his pants and walked over to it.

"Sorry." He said as he silenced the furret with one quick thrust. Signaling her to get out of the bushes, Amy climbed out and met Gray as he slung the animal over his shoulder. "Gather some firewood while I skin him. Meet me back at camp." He then turned around and headed off back to camp. Gathering firewood was easy, she had done it when her parents had gone camping with her a couple times.

Returning to camp with some firewood, she saw that Gray had already skewered the furret. His hands were a bit bloody, and he was sweating from the heat. Replacing the charred logs from last night, he placed the new ones on top and ordered Aine to use ember on them. The logs caught fire and Gray made a stand out of some wood, where he placed the furret to roast.

The boy dug into his pack and took out a bag of formula. Serving his pokemon, he leaned back on a rock, waiting for the furret to be done. Remembering that her pokemon must also be hungry, Amy let hers out of their pokeballs.

"Alright guys! Come on out!"

Gray glanced at the three pokeballs in the air, which opened and shot three beams of white light onto the forest floor. The first light materialized, revealing a small sheep like pokemon with a blue face and blue feet. It had a black and yellow striped tail with a yellow orb at the end. The second light cleared to show a flying blue bird with wings that closely resembled clouds. The third and final light faded, leaving behind a green gecko pokemon with large yellow eyes. "Treecko," it said.

Flipping open Charles, he scanned over the sheep first. "Mareep, the Wool pokemon. It's wool, which grows continuosly, stores electricity, rubbing together and building static charge." Turning his pokedex towards the blue bird creature, Charles stated, "Swablu, the cotton bird pokemon. It's wings are like cotton tufts. If it perches on someone's head, it looks like a cotton hat." Next was the green gecko. "Treecko, the wood gecko pokemon. It quickly scales even vertical walls. It sense humidity with it's tail to predict the next day's weather."

"Mareep, Swablu, and Treecko huh. You got that treecko at Birch's lab right? I remember seeing one there."

"Yeah. I picked him up about two weeks ago. My other two pokemon were sent over from my dad in Mauville City."

A high pitched 'Torrrrchic' was heard as Aine nearly tackled her treecko down. Guess she was friends with him back in the lab.

"Veer! I thought you left!" Aine chirped.

"Yeah. Amy took me. We were in Oldale for a while. She had to run some errands there. Looks like she made a friend." Veer replied coolly, moving a twig around in his mouth. "He looks a little dangerous."

"Yeah, that's my trainer! He looks a little scary but he's really awesome!"The torchic suddenly remembered, "OH! Say hi to Bib and Haona, they're his pokemon too."

Veer bowed to them, respectfully acknowledging them. Proper and honorable. Aine was right, Veer was pretty good.

The mareep and swablu then came over and mingled, talking to Haona, Bib, and Aine about their trainers.

Amy and Gray smiled, watching their pokemon interact with each other. Looking back at the furret, Gray took it out of the fire and took out his knife. Cutting away strips of it's meat, he placed them on Amy's plate before serving himself.

Finally getting something solid to eat, the blonde haired trainer devoured the meat. _So good, _she thought, savoring the rich flavor. She never knew furret tasted this good. Her face amused Gray, who only chuckled before sinking his teeth into his own food. _I could get used to this, _Amy confessed to herself.

* * *

Now full and ready to go, Amy and Gray packed up their belongings and started on the route to Petalburg again. The route was quiet and peaceful, unusual considering the amount of beginners that trekked through there all the time. Glancing up at Gray, who was a few inches taller than her, she couldn't help but stare at his right eye. It was the color of the ocean, a deep blue. It was almost otherworldly and it was so _captivating_.

Gray, then moved his eye, staring at her as she watched him. Quickly correcting herself, she stared ahead in front of her, now feeling a little more than awkward. _Don't stare like that you idiot!_ Well, she couldn't really blame herself much, it's not everyday that you see a person with differently colored eyes. It was weird._  
_

Gray furrowed his brows, observing the blonde's strange behavior. He stopped thinking she was brain dead, now only convinced she was stranger than this world. She slapped herself for no reason. That was not weird enough? Shrugging, he stopped when he noticed Amy behind him. "Come on, we need to keep going."

Catching her annoyed look, he asked ,"What?"

"You think I'm going into Petalburg looking like this and smelling worse than tauros crap? You got another thing coming." Pulling him towards a river away from the main road, she stopped. " Besides, you need a bath too. You're filthy."

Riven scowled. She did have a point. He was sweaty and dirty. It also would not hurt to get out of the heat for a bit and enjoy the water. "Alright. We will bathe in the stream and then head to Petalburg."

"Sounds good to me! Now turn around. I'm going to undress," she ordered.

Respecting a woman's privacy, Riven turned around and waited for her to enter the water. Hearing a sinking sound, he asked, "Can I turn around yet?"

"Yeah, go ahead."

Turning around, he saw her submerged up to her collarbone. Moving his finger to the side, he motioned for her to turn around this time. She turned away, facing the other side of the small stream now. He removed his armor and undergarments, dropping into the water. " You can turn around now."

Now facing his direction, Amy's eyes widened. _Holy shit._ The male trainer was incredibly toned. But his body was covered in scars. A horizontal scar ran across his pectorals, running perpendicular to a large scar that went from his collarbone down to nearly his hip. Numerous other cuts that were smaller in size lined his body and back. _Just what kind of pain has he been through? And how much does he work out? He's fucking toned! _It wouldn't last long though, most trainers were half starved most of the time, it would be hard keeping a figure like that.

Gray, on the other hand, seemed unfazed by her obvious staring. He simply busied himself with cleaning up, getting the dirt and sweat out of his hair. He caught a glimpse of Amy's body as she turned around and stood up slightly. She had a slender curvy body, and soft pale skin. Chastising himself for looking, he glanced away and finished cleaning up.

Both trainers, now clean and fresh, were back on the main road. Amy tugged at Gray's leather sleeve, grabbing his attention. "What," he questioned, unaware of her intention.

Smiling widely, she took out a pokeball from her belt and enlarged it.

"Let's have a friendly battle! You owe me that much."

Gray looked at his pokemon, who all nodded in confirmation.

"I will not go easy on you though."

"That's alright! I wasn't planning to go easy on you either."

Gray smirked, "Hmph. Come on then." The blonde threw her pokeball in the air.

The battle had commenced.


	7. The City of Flowers

"Go Swablu!"

The pokeball opened in the air and a blue bird with cloudy wings appeared, it's face fierce and determined.

Riven turned to his torchic, "Aine, you want to take this one?" The orange chick nodded it's head furiously, obviously excited to battle again. The only thing Aine loved more than food was battling. She jumped in front of him, face growing equally as determined as the swablu's.

Amy looked rather confused. _He chose a torchic to battle my swablu?_ It wasn't a bad matchup per say, but it wasn't a very good one either. Torchic was a pure fire type so she would take normal damage against anything swablu did, and vice versa. _Except he forgot one thing. Swablu can fly. That means she has the speed advantage._"Swablu, gain some altitude! Get out of it's ember range!"

_Smart girl_, Riven thought. She was going to use her swablu's flight capabilities to avoid Aine's embers and try and get quick hit-and-run hits on her. It was a good strategy but it had one fundamental flaw, her pokemon had to get close to hit_. I will wait until she gets close, then use ember on her wings. Moving with a burn hurts like hell, trying to fly with a burned wing should be equally as unbearable, if not worse._

"Swablu, dive and use peck!" Amy commanded. The speed of the descent would add extra power to the attack and hopefully cause lots of damage to his torchic. The strange part was that the orange chick wasn't moving. It just stood there. Waiting.

Watching the swablu dive towards his torchic, Riven simply stood there, cold and calculating. Battle was a lot like moving troops and outmaneuvering the enemy. You had to think not one but three steps down the line. Pokemon battles were a test of tactical wit. Who had the advantage, what you could do to counter their moves, and what kind of genius reversal you could pull out of your ass to win the match. However, his torchic only knew one long ranged move, which also did not reach very far. Which means the only thing he could do was wait for an opening.

The blue bird was now a blue and white blur as gravity accelerated it's tiny body. Spreading it's wings, it flew straight at Aine. "Aine. Hop to the right. Dodge it!" His torchic obeyed and dodged to the side avoiding the bird's accelerated peck. Having missed, the bird flapped it's wings and pulled up, flipping upside down in the air to come back for another swoop.

Ordering Aine to dodge a few more sweeps, he was trying for a rhythm. Rhythm's were important. His father said everything had a rhythm, even the most static and unmoving of objects. Waves and patterns existed everywhere, it was only a matter of adjusting to them. Getting used to the flow of Amy's swablu, he decided it was time to attack.

"Swablu, fly higher! This time we'll get him for sure!" Amy shouted, as her swablu steadily gained altitude. A tiny blue dot in the sky, she yelled, " FULL SPEED PECK! HIT HIM LIKE A SPEAR!" The blue dot shot straight down, wind rushing past it's cotton feathers as it's beak glowed white, heading straight for Aine.

Riven waited for it to straighten out, his torchic however, was hesitant about staying still. It was coming very, very _fast_. She was afraid she couldn't dodge it. Riven reassured her, "Aine, calm down. Strike when the time is right." Her trainer's words calmed her a bit and she glared at the swiftly approaching puff ball.

The swablu was dangerously close, low to the ground, advancing towards the orange fire type. _One, two, and now!_ "Aine, get on the floor and shoot ember straight up and to the left! Burn it's wing!" Amy's eyes widened, realizing Gray's strategy.

_Dammit, he's trying to ground her by disabling her wings._ That won't work though. She had a trick up her sleeve. She grinned, surprising Gray, who expected to see a more shocked expression.

Aine's ember impacted with swablu's left wing causing it to wobble in pain. It's wings were red and scorched, it had a burn. The bird was moving significantly slower, something Riven planned to take advantage of. "Use ember while she is still low. Do not let her breathe!" His torchic unleashed volleys of embers at swablu who dodged most of them. But the ones that did hit definitely caused major damage.

Amy's pokemon was visibly tired, panting heavily and barely staying afloat. Her burn had slowed her just enough for Gray's torchic to get a few good hits in. _Should be activating soon. Need to surprise him._ "Swablu, fly up in the air again, we're going for another fly by!"

_Another pass? With a burned wing?_ That was going to get her pokemon knocked out, she would be an easy target for Aine. "Alright. Stay still. You know what to do." He continued his previous strategy, this time he would dodge to the left not straight down like before. Doing the same thing twice in a battle or in war could mean defeat or death. He was not going to take any chances.

Amy's bird was once again in the sky, ready for another assault. Gaining enough height, it dove down again, straightening out as it neared the floor, peck ready to hit. _Patience. It will come soon._ His torchic seemed to read his mind, breathing in deep, ready for the attack.

The attack was nothing like the rest though. Her swablu did something unexpected, deliberately flying _over _his torchic. Then it banked to the right, using it's left wing to turn.

_What?_

It turned right back around, shooting towards Aine like a falling comet. No time to escape, Riven shouted, "AINE! EMBER STRAIGHT AHEAD , ENDURE THE HIT!" _How did she recover from the burn? Her trainer did not apply any berry juice to it._

Swablu's increased velocity hit Aine with the force a small explosion despite taking a burning hot-full powered ember to the face. Aine and swablu collided with each other, flying towards a nearby tree, slamming into it's trunk, leaving a small pokemon sized dent.

Amy grinned devilishly, knowing that Gray was still wondering why her pokemon was able to recover that quick. Holding a scolding finger up she waved it at him, "Tsk, Tsk. I thought you'd know better Gray. My swablu's ability is natural cure. It normally cures status effects when switched out, but if she's left in battle, it activates after a minute or two." Looking at the two pokemon, she frowned. Neither of them were getting up. It seems his torchic got one hit koed, while her swablu took too much damage over the course of the battle. Well, at least they were still tied.

"It was a good battle," Gray said to his torchic as a red beam engulfed her. His face now showed an expression different from his usual blank stare. He was determined. He wanted to win.

Amy grimaced, his torchic had been his weakest pokemon. His absol and kirlia looked battle tested and relatively strong compared to her mareep. Her treecko was her strongest and fastest pokemon, but he was a grass type. He didn't have any type advantages on either of them. _This is bad, _she thought_._ _None of my pokemon have any advantages over his. Neither do his but that absol can know a variety of moves. That horn looks dangerous too._ Hesitating, she pulled out another pokeball with a small lightning bolt on it and threw it in the air."Go Mareep!"

A puffy sheep pokemon materialized and stared at Gray, static electricity sparking across it's wool. Mareep. _It might have plenty of long ranged electric attacks but it is definitely lacking in speed. I can use that to my advantage_. Looking at Mischief he said, " Mischief, your turn."

His kirlia nodded and gracefully tip toed onto the battleground. He looked like a dancer, moving with grace and finesse. He folded his arms, perfectly calm. Amy gulped, this was going to be tough. Mischief's eyes stared into mareep's, unnerving him slightly.

_That kirlia is _way_ too calm. Something is up. I need to approach this carefully._

"THUNDER!" She screamed. _To hell with calm! We need to attack all out, who knows what that kirlia can do._ Lightning flashed around mareep as he built up electricity, glowing a brilliant yellow. Electricity fully charged, he released it with a fierce "Meeeeeeeep!" His thunder arced and cracked, bolting directly towards the kirlia.

It simply stood there, smirking. _Shit. I made a mistake didn't I?_

Mareep's thunder hit the spot where Mischief was standing, causing an explosion of electricity, kicking dirt, dust, and grass up into the air. The battleground was hard to make out, dust blanketed the air, making visibility minimal. The dust settled, and Amy's jaw dropped.

Gray was smirking, flashing a bit of pearl white teeth. His kirlia's left palm was right at mareep's head. "Confusion."

A pink psychic blast hit mareep, throwing him outwards five feet, causing him to roll on the ground, dragging parts of the ground with him. _How did his kirlia get there so quickly? And what power._ His kirlia and absol were _much_ stronger than her pokemon were. She stared in blank disbelief as her mareep got up wobbling left and right. He was confused.

Panicking, Amy yelled, "Use Thunder Wave!" Mareep struggled a bit before storing up some electricity and firing it at the kirlia. It hit him head on and static electricity crackled around his slender body. However, that didn't wipe the smirk off it's face.

Looking at Gray, he had a smile plastered on his face, " Tsk, Tsk. I thought you knew better, Amy. Mischief's ability is synchronize, that means that your mareep just paralyzed himself." Whipping her head back to her mareep, she noticed that electricity was also crackling around him, he was paralyzed too.

_SHIT!_

The next moment, the kirlia was gone. "Paralysis slows a pokemon's physical movement down, but not their brain. Mischief only needs to teleport and he can easily escape, the same cannot be said for your mareep." He flashed a smile that was all teeth. "Finish it." The psychic pokemon appeared above her pokemon, palm directly above the sheep's skull. His hand glowed pink and a psychic force slammed mareep into the ground, lifting a small cloud of dust.

His kirlia then humiliated Amy by sitting down on her mareep, which had swirls in it's eyes. Returning him to his pokeball, she comforted her pokemon. "You did really well mareep. Rest now." Glaring at Gray's smug green haired pokemon, she brought out her final pokeball.

"HERE WE GO YOU LITTLE SHIT. GO TREECKO!" Amy looked absolutely furious. " YOU'RE GOING DOWN YOU BASTARD."

The treecko flipped onto the ground, sticking a twig in it's mouth and holding a hand on it's hip. It could probably pass for an ice type with how cool it looked. Wasting no time, the treecko instantly got on all fours, sprinting towards the psychic type.

Gray cursed himself, getting Mischief paralyzed might have worked with a slow opponent like mareep. However, it was a double-edged sword. This treecko was fast and was _not_ paralyzed, which meant he could run circles around his kirlia if he wanted to. The paralysis was interfering with his pokemon's ability to turn around quickly and lift his arms. He had to teleport to get into a position to attack. _He cannot do that when treecko is pressuring him into teleporting._

Amy's treecko relentlessly chasing after the psychic type, forcing him to teleport multiple times across the battle ground, evading his tail swipes. Haona noticed that he was beginning to tire mentally, having teleported himself too much. His reactions were getting slower, and the paralysis slowed his physical movements considerably. He was unable to teleport fast enough when Veer's tail slammed into his face, knocking him back a few feet.

Bib's eyes glowed blue and he lifted his arms slightly, levitating the treecko off the ground. Swiping his hand to the right, he psychically threw the gecko at a nearby tree, hoping the impact would knock it out. However, the green pokemon deftly flipped in the air, landing on the trees trunk with his feet. Richocheting off the trunk, he spun in the air and used the momentum of the spin to land a powerful tail strike against Bib's body. The kirlia was blown back onto a tree, falling down with swirls in it's eyes.

The match was tied again. One to one.

_Good. Now for that absol. She looks the strongest._

Gray's absol trotted into position. Body low and hind legs extended outward, ready to fight. A bit intimidated by the absol's demanding presence, Amy ordered treecko to pull back. " Use bullet seed! Keep away from her!"

Veer opened his mouth and shot a pellet of seeds at Haona, who easily deflected them with her horn. He would need to try better than that. He bested Bib, he wouldn't best her so easily. He needed to get close to do any real damage. _And close is where I do best_, she boasted mentally.

Seeing Veer's bullet seed do absolutely nothing to the beautiful white pokemon, Amy changed her strategy. "Treecko, circle around her!" The grass type began running circles around Haona. She eyed him carefully, looking for any hints of an attack. Suddenly his trainer called out to him, ordering him to use quick attack. He charged at her, leaving a trail of after images.

Expecting him to come straight on, she prepared herself but was startled when the treecko zigzagged instead, moving away from her than right back. She didn't move fast enough, taking damage as Veer slammed into her side. Recoiling in pain but not quite done, she looked at Riven, who nodded. Standing up, she prepared herself again.

The grass type did the same thing twice. This time, she knew it was coming. Her trainer saw the treecko zigzag and shouted, " Flip backwards!" She flipped back, now above the treecko. " Mega Horn!"

Her horn extended into a large green blade, treecko's eyes widened; it wasn't expecting this. Neither was Amy. Spinning her body, she swung the large blade down, dulling it's edge before it hit the treecko on the back. The hit was super effective, instantly knocking treecko out of his quick attack and onto the dirt, swirls in it's eyes.

Haona landed back on her feet gracefully, huffing in victory, a smile forming on her lips.

The blonde trainer looked slightly disappointed but quickly cheered up. Returning her treecko, she beamed, "That was a great battle! Your pokemon are pretty strong , Gray."

"Thank you, I guess."

"Here. It's prize money." She said, holding out some paper bills.

Gray took them, holding them out in wonder. "What is this? Paper?" This puzzled Amy. How was he a pokemon trainer yet had no idea what money was?

"No it's money, you fool. You use it to buy stuff like medicine, food, and equipment." She explained. She couldn't believe she even had to explain to him what money was. _Everyone_ knew what money was.

"Ah. I understand but why are you giving it to me?" He questioned, unable to connect the gesture with anything sensible.

"It's a rule. Whenever a trainer loses, he or she needs to give half of their money to the person who beat them. That way, you're encouraged not to lose." Amy said, matter-of-factly.

"That is stupid. But I guess it makes sense." This world was already weird. A rule equally as stupid as not being able to kill pokemon did not surprise Riven in the slightest. Changing the subject, he proposed, "Now that the battle is done, we should get moving."

"Yeah, you're right."

The two trainers gathered their bearings and started back on the road to Petalburg city. They _completely_ ignored the fact that their skirmish destroyed a good portion of trees around the route, and left large gaping craters scattered about the main road.

* * *

Blocked by the tall trees overhead, Amy knew that Petalburg was close. She'd been through here many times, and knew that they were almost there. It had taken a few hours but it was now mid-day and she just passed a yellow flower that marked the end of the route to Petalburg.

Turning around a corner of trees, she saw the entrance to the city of flowers. Beautifully trimmed hedges marked the entrance to the city, with a grand metal sign that had flower decorations on it.

_Welcome to Petalburg. The City of Flowers._

Relieved that they didn't have to walk much further, she turned to Gray, who looked absolutely _dumbfounded_. He looked like he'd just won a lottery, his jaw probably could have fallen off from how open his mouth was. Had he not seen a city before?

Recalling his words in the forest while he was tracking the furret, she figured that he must have lived his whole life in the wild or in small towns. Naturally, a city would be overwhelming. _And this isn't even the biggest one!_ Lilycove, Slateport, and Larousse were _much_ bigger and even more impressive than little 'ol Petalburg.

Waving a pale hand in front of his face, she smiled, her bright green eyes staring at him with amused glee. Snapping out of his stupefied trance and picking up his jaw, he stammered," Uhhh…Yes…. Wow. All the metal buildings are so _huge._"

His parent's palace was bigger than most of the buildings but the fact remained that there was buildings as far as the eye can see, varying in size while looking sleek and geometric at the same time. They definitely looked futuristic. The buildings in his time were made of stone, brick or wood, giving them an ugly, dirty look. He kind of hated them.

Twirling back towards the city, Amy teased, " It's called a city for a reason!" Grabbing his hand, she pulled him forward. " Come on! Let's go to the pokemon center and get our pokemon healed!"

Following the blonde girl's lead, Riven clambered along, staring at all the buildings, at all the _people_. He had never seen so much people in one place not trying to murder each other. Trainers and regular citizens walked down the streets and out of buildings, conversing and laughing with their pokemon.

It seemed almost surreal. It was like they lived in perfect harmony.

He came back to reality when Amy stopped in front of a building with a red roof and it's trademark pokeball symbol. They walked through the sliding doors, which still amazed him; and into the surprisingly spacious interior of the pokemon center.

A pink haired woman who looked identical to the one in Oldale, smiled and asked kindly, " Oh, new trainers? Do you want me to heal your pokemon?"

Both trainers handed over their injured pokemon's pokeballs over to Nurse Joy, who placed them on a tray with spherical grooves. A click was heard each time she put one of the pokeballs in the grooves. Once she placed all of them into the grooves, she turned on a contraption that made a strange whirring noise, enveloping the pokeballs in a beautiful white light. A few minutes later, she came over to the two young trainers, handing them back their pokeballs. "Here are your pokemon. Will you be staying at Petalburg for some time?"

Riven responded, " Yes. I will be staying for a few days and make some money, before moving on to Rustboro." He was told by the clerk in Oldale to seek employment in Petalburg to gather some money for supplies. Riven did not mind, after all, he did want to eat some quality food. Wild pokemon was nice but it did not have too much flavor. It was more out of necessity, than to satisfy. Sometimes, one needs to indulge, or else how would anybody stay sane?

Nurse Joy was glad. She could rent out a spare room for both of them to sleep in. "That's great! I have a spare room for both of you. The first week is free, then it's a 200 pokeyen fee per day. Here is the key to your room. Have a wonderful time in Petalburg!" With that, she left the trainers and went back to the front desk, now attending a youngster who had just walked in.

Twisting the key in the lock, Riven opened the door to the rental room, sighing in relief as if he had just seen the Hall of Origin. _Beds. Real beds! I get to sleep in a real bed!_ Launching himself onto the bed, his face sank into the pillow, which made the weariness of the walk to Petalburg slide off his shoulders like water on wax. He had slept in bedrolls and on the ground for nearly five years, he had not so much as seen a glimpse of a bed in a very _long_ time. Needless to say, he was as giddy as a ten year old getting his first pokemon.

Then his stomach rumbled. Amy stifled a laugh. She shook her head, " Come on, I said I'd buy you some food in return for that furret remember?"

_Oh right. Forgot about that. Fortunately she remembered._

Amy led him to the dining area, where many trainers go to refill their empty stomachs. Young boys and girls were all over the pokemon dining area, exchanging battle tips and accessing the wireless internet to use the GTS global link. Gray looked astonished, as usual. She went and ordered their food, which she brought back on pink trays. Setting it down on their table, Gray's eyes widened and his mouth started to water.

He picked up a spoon and took a bite out of it. Closing his eyes, it looked like he was _really_ savoring it. _All that wild pokemon gets dull after a while I guess._ Couldn't blame him for his reaction, if she had to eat wild furret every single day, she would be like that too.

"Mmmmff…what is in this?" He asked between spoonfuls of food.

Amy giggled. _Just like a kid. Some boys just never grow up do they?_ "It's curry with some fried rice and potato salad."

"I have no idea what half of that is but it is certainly delicious." He confirmed, devouring his meal like a beast. He did kind of look like a savage right now. Finishing his meal, he rested his head on the seat's headrest, groaning. "That was amazing. Best food I have tasted in over five years."

_Five years? What the fuck? How long was he stuck in the wilderness for?_

"What have you been eating for the past five damn years Gray?" Amy was astonished this time. Either he _was_ a survivalist freak or he had a terrible sense of direction and was otherwise incapable of finding civilization.

"Stale bread and wild pokemon. Some corphish and roasted magikarp on occasion." He replied simply, eyeing a group of trainers discussing something about gym leaders. "It was not the best of existences but it was enough to keep me going. That is all I ever needed." He wanted to give her the truth, but he knew she would just ridicule him. _What sane person would believe in something so absurd? Oh, I came from the past, I have no conceivable notion where I am and I used to be in the military and killed people by the dozens. Now I am a pokemon trainer! Get real. You would be stupid for trying._

"Oh." The blonde responded, feeling a little dejected by his simplistic response. Gray was a very no nonsense type of guy and very straight forward when it came to things on his mind. He had a - _what am I hunting and how do I kill it_- type of attitude, like the guys in the movies. He was also peculiar in the sense that he never used any contractions. Like _ever_. His speech was rigid and felt off, like trying to speak a second language. She couldn't shake the feeling that there existed much more about him that he wasn't letting on. However, she would only be with him for two days, so she figured that she shouldn't worry about it all that much.

Yawning, Amy informed Gray that she was sleepy, which prompted him to follow her to their rental room. Getting ready for bed, she changed into her pajamas, while he simply removed his leather clothing and laid down in his bed, nearly falling asleep instantly.

Shifting position, he turned towards Amy's bunk. She was already asleep, snoring lightly. He looked at her face. She looked peaceful. _Almost like an a – no. Stop._

Forgetting about it, he looked up at the ceiling, which had clefairies painted on it. Closing his eyes, he willed himself to sleep. He needed to go employment hunting tomorrow.

* * *

Amy awoke in the middle of the night to what sounded like whimpers. Curious as to where the sound was coming from, she looked over to her roommate, Gray. He was sweating profusely and his face was contorted rather painfully. He was having a nightmare of sorts. Staying perfectly still, she watched him squirm and breathe rapidly, until his eyes shot open.

She caught his right eye, which instead of the usual blue, was now a blackish red color.

His gaze made every single hair on the back of her neck stand up. His breath was guttural and raspy, like an animal. She was afraid, afraid of him. That glare was not menacing, it was evil. In that single instant she felt inhumane hate that didn't belong to her. It was overwhelming and terrifying.

_Was this really Gray? Or something else?_

Suddenly, he turned away and ran off to the bathroom. She stayed in her bed, mortified at what she had just seen and felt. He switched on the faucet, rubbing his face with liberal amounts of ice cold water, shaking off what he had experienced in his sleep.

Still shivering, Riven looked at his reflection. He looked unruly with facial hair growing outward, no longer stubble. Taking out his knife, he shaved, looking a bit more presentable. He stood at the sink for a while. He had no idea what he had been doing moments after waking up. All he knew was that his right eye burned and Amy looked frightened. No, she was bone deep terrified. What had he done?

Heading out of the bathroom, he started putting on his clothes and weapons. He looked at Amy who was shriveled up in the corner of her bed, green eyes staring at him in terror. His heart sank. Looking away in shame, he left the room and sat on a bench in the lobby. Gripping his head with his hands, he laid down and tried to go to sleep.

* * *

The next two days were painful for Riven. Amy would not look at him in the eyes and whenever he tried to speak to her she replied in very short sentences, often keeping her distance from him. She bought him food but they ate in silence. She did not bring up the subject, and would refuse to go to sleep around him. He slept in the lobby on the bench, which worried Nurse joy. He also was unable to find any form of employment around the plaza.

Bib felt his trainer's mood, attempting to comfort him, but to no avail. He was ashamed and thoroughly depressed. Aine and Haona also tried to cheer him up failed miserably as well. This was starting to piss them off. Less than a week after a meeting a girl and their trainer was already a broken mess. They had to make sure this didn't happen again.

Just then, Amy and Riven walked out of the trainer resident area. The blonde girl stopped in front of the doors, staring at her feet. "Gray, I need to go now." Trying to walk out of the doors, she was stopped by him, who told her to look him in the eyes. She locked eyes with Gray, quivering in fear after looking at his right eye.

He stared into her's and said, "I am sorry. For whatever it is I did two nights ago."

She relaxed a bit, breaking free from his grasp. "You didn't do anything Gray. You just scared me a bit. That's all." She looked away, catching Haona's disapproving scowl. "I don't hate you or anything. In fact, I'm glad we met. You're a pretty cool guy. Just…learn to control that, whatever it is you have. It scares people." A pause," It's already been two days." Amy smiled sadly, "I guess this is goodbye."

Riven stared into her eyes one last time, before looking down at the floor. Nodding his head, he concluded, "I guess so."

"Good bye, Amy."

"We'll still be friends."

He watched her walk out the doors, out into the plaza, and further out until all he could see was a yellow dot. Her goodbye had been bittersweet. He stopped blaming himself for what happened two nights ago but now felt a pit in his core.

He had now lost two friends.

Feeling a strange emptiness in him, he headed to the Petalburg Park, where trainers were still gathering under the setting sun. Plopping down onto a bench overlooking the sunset, he regressed into deep thought, reevaluating his situation.

A voice in his head scolded him.

_Silly boy. You know you will never keep what you want the most. All you ever need is me. Do not ever forget that._

_"_Shut up. I do not need your shit right now."

Kicking a pebble down the hill, he watched as it rolled down, hitting a boy on the head, who turned around, red in the face.

"WHOEVER DID THAT IS GONNA PAY! BATTLE RIGHT NOW!", he stormed.

Arceus, this was going to be a long day. At least if he won he would get his hands on some money. Now that Amy was gone, he was going to have to pay for his own meals. Standing up, he met the impulsive youngster. A battle might ease his mood a little.

"I did that. Show me what you got, brat."

* * *

In a worn down building, a man in an expensive business suit received a call. Opening his holo caster, another man in a hood appeared as a holographic image.

"I take it you know where it is?"

"Yes , sir. I have located it's whereabouts. I have dispatched three men to go retrieve it."

"And where exactly is it?"

"In Petalburg. It's going to be the prize for the contest that is scheduled to be held there next week."

" Good. Do not fail me. If you do, the circle will make sure you do not see the light of day ever again." The hooded man's voice was commanding, stern, and ominous.

The holo caster shut off, leaving the man alone in the dark run down building. Flipping a knife in his hand, the suited man flashed a twisted grin. "Oh, that won't be necessary. After all, it's all for the cause right?"

_Get ready little contest winner. You have something we want. And we won't stop until we get it._

* * *

**Also, I apologize for the ice type joke during the battle. It was really bad but I just couldn't resist.**


	8. Petals of Grey

Riven held up two one hundred pokeYen bills up to a street light. They had a picture of a Pikachu on them. _What is so special about a Pikachu? Is it some kind of logo for the company that prints the stuff?_

He had just won six hundred pokeYen from that brat in the park. Total pushover. He was a bug type trainer that blew out enough steam rival a torkoal. Aine pretty much swept his entire team by herself. One ember put his dustox down for the count, and a couple more took out his nincada and his ninjask. That ninjask was fast but Aine managed to get a lucky ember in while getting a slash to the face.

She was not happy about that. She was giving Riven the White Queen treatment. She even refused food. Yes. Aine refused food. Hey, sometimes miracles _do_ happen.

Regardless, the black haired trainer and his pokemon spent an evening at the park staring at the sunset. It was pleasant. And noisy. The sound from the trainers and their pokemon did not allow for quiet, peaceful meditation. Riven was still down about parting ways with Amy.

She was loud, obnoxious, flighty, and over enthusiastic about things but she was friendly. _And very… …erm….attractive? Gah, I am turning into Nemos._ Riven never had much experience with women, being in the military for most of his teenage life. So naturally, he just treated them like he treated men. But he still missed Amy and her yellow hair anyway. She bought him food, that was fairly great. Buying food on your own? Not great.

Buying food for you and your pokemon? Even worse. Adding to that, he had gone job hunting again during the night, and had nothing to show for it. _Such a big city and no job openings? Complete Tauros shit._

He entered the pokemon center, looking completely miserable. Nurse Joy watched him slouch back to the resident area. The teenager had her sympathies, having just parted ways with a friend and being unable to find a job at all. He had only four days of free rent left, after that it was pay only. Nurse Joy almost wanted to extend the time for him, but then she'd have to extend it for _everyone_.

Riven took the key out of his pocket and shoved it into the door's lock, twisting it and opening the door. What he saw next would probably haunt his dreams.

He saw an older girl and boy on _his_ bed doing rather questionable things with their lower parts. The image was burned into his skull, and he could not unsee it. They were both as nude as they had come into the world and he saw EVERYTHING.

"ARCEUS, WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING ON MY BED? GET THE FUCK OUT NOW!" Riven stormed, drawing a sword and pointing it at the pair, who were now red faced and utterly terrified. The boy picked up his pants and the girl covered herself with her clothes, both looking down at the floor in shame. Nurse Joy came running in, alarmed by the commotion.

"Gray, what's wrong why did you-" A look of horror appeared on Joy's usually smiling face. "OH GOD. WHAT ARE YOU DOING? GET OUT! OUT! OUT!OUT! HOW DARE YOU DO THINGS LIKE THAT IN SOMEONE ELSE'S ROOM?" She dragged the two out of the room, pulling them by the ears, glancing at Gray with a look that said, _I am SO sorry_.

Riven slammed a hand onto his face, sliding it down slowly_. Why? Why does this happen? New world same Tauros shit? You know what? I am done. Done._ _No. NO, _he thought while shaking his head.

Looking at his bed, he saw the green sheets dark with some kind of fluid. White Queen tried to lick it.

"DO NOT _DARE_ LICK THAT." Great. Now his bed was unusable. He had to sleep in Amy's former bunk now. As if that good bye was not a great enough kick to the mid region, he now had to sleep in her bed.

He got on the bed and faceplanted into the pillow. He smelled something nice. It smelled like flowers_. Is this Amy's scent? Smells good._ Then he reprimanded himself, thinking about that goodbye. He sat up slightly irritated.

"Can something go right for once?"

The legendaries gave their answer and the wall adjacent to him exploded. The rest of the bed and bunk was incinerated, with part of his room. He stared at the gaping hole in the wall completely silent, then looked over to the other side. A young little boy with a red hat and jacket stared back at him. "Uh….sorry?" Riven's eyes narrowed, he glanced next to the boy and saw a quilava next to him. It was rubbing its foot.

"Erm. Someone stepped on his foot and he reacted and he shot a fireball and.." He caught Riven's glare. The smaller trainer abruptly stopped stammering, it would only make the larger black haired boy even more mad than he already was.

"Call Nurse Joy. Before. I. Commit. Murder." Riven warned, coldly furious.

"Uh….yeah…I'll…. uh… be back."

Returning a few moments later, he brought Nurse Joy in, who could only gasp at the damage. "MOTHER OF ARCEUS! HALF THE WALL IS GONE! AND PART OF GRAY'S ROOM!" She held up a hand to her mouth. "Gray, I am so sorry. I had no idea this would happen." She caught sight of him, who looked about ready to go on a psychotic rampage.

"Nurse Joy."

"Yes Gray?"

"Where can I find something small, cute, and generally well liked?"

Oh she didn't like where this was going. She asked anyway. "Why?"

"Because I want to destroy it," he deadpanned. His absol shared the look, who was caked in dust and blackened soot.

"Gray, I'm sorry, I'll give you money in return for the damages and discomfort." She didn't know if that would make up for all the things that had happened to him that very same day. Joy felt more than sympathy for the boy, now bordering on pity.

Gray's _I-want-to-destroy-something_ face lifted slightly. "Yes. Money would do well." _Note to self, make sure who your neighbors are. And warn them if they try anything stupid, you will castrate them._ He followed Joy out of the room, shooting a piercing glare at the little boy, who backed into the corner of his room. Coming out to the lobby, he saw the two trainers who were doing _thing_s in his room and he growled at them. They edged towards the wall, maintaining a good distance away from the menacing young man.

Nurse Joy opened the register and handed Gray three thousand pokeYen. He took them without a word and was about to ask a question when Joy cut him off. "I have bad news, Gray."

Gray muttered something under his breath that sounded like complete gibberish. His pokemon nodded in agreement, feeling equally as angry as him. "We have no more rooms left, and your room has been completely trashed. I can't rent you any other rooms."

Riven simply stared. Then burst out into hysterical laughter, admiring the immense amount of shit that had just happened to him. Damn, the legendaries hated him. He left the pokemon center, stumbling out of the sliding doors, still laughing like a lunatic.

"Oh this is great." He said to his pokemon before falling on his knees, unable to breathe from laughing so hard. " THIS IS WONDERFUL! HAHAHA!"

Haona, Bib, and Aine stared at their trainer. He had definitely lost his shit. Then he suddenly stopped laughing, getting up with a dead serious face.

"You three, come. We are going to the park." He commanded, face totally unreadable. Stoic was an accurate term. No fury, no madness, no happiness, nothing. It was pretty scary.

Arriving at the park, he threw himself on the bench they had been sitting at when the sun was going down. Then he brought out his pokeballs and returned all of his pokemon. White Queen and Mischief would be furious but he could care less. He was one hundred percent _done_. There was a term for this in the military, he was unable to recall the name though.

_You see, when someone is expendable, they start thinking that nothing really matters anymore. They drop truth bombs and generally do things saner souls would not even attempt. Why? Because they have nothing to lose and have dealt with so much tauros shit that they just do not give one single damn._ Riven never experienced it fully and thought it was completely groundless. That is until today successfully proved him wrong.

Riven cursed himself to sleep, probably spewing enough verbal acid to scare a seviper.

* * *

The next day, Riven woke up feeling worse than he had felt the night before. His neck and back ached because of the bench and he was hungry. He stuffed a hand into a pocket in his cuirass and took out some bills. He had four thousand, six hundred pokeYen to his name. Not bad. Enough to get him two weeks worth of pokefood and meals.

He brought out his pokemon from their spherical prisons, only to be tackled by a black faced, once white furball. White Queen glared at him, obviously irritated that he had returned her to her ball. "Gah…Alright…I get it." A cough. "Tackling me was uncalled for." White Queen huffed in response, sending a little bit of icy wind towards Riven's face. "Ahhhh! Do not ice beam me. You already tackled me, an ice beam is unnecessary." Dusting himself off, he looked down at White Queen. Her face was covered in soot from last night's incendiary mishap and her pristine white fur was tainted and dirty. Something had to be done. "White Queen." She turned her head upwards, staring at him.

"You need a bath."

_Splash. Drip. Drip. Squelch._

Haona climbed out of the blue lake in the center of Petalburg Park. It wasn't dirty. Far from it actually. It's just that her trainer had the _nerve_ to pick her up and throw her in. The water was damned cold. She was still shivering. The water was much colder right now than it would be later on in the day.

"Oh that does it idiot human." She charged up a bluish white ball of energy, freezing early morning dew into ice on the grass below.

Bib and Aine backed away from Riven, who had his back turned and was rummaging through his bag for pokefood. Bib mumbled to Aine, -"Oh she's pissed. It would be healthy for us to stay out of her ice beam range for now."- The torchic agreed, still in a daze after being pulled away by the kirlia.

A blue beam shot forward, hitting Riven on his backside. He jumped and gave an unmanly yelp. This alone caused his pokemon to erupt in laughter. He turned around, still holding his bottom.

_Alright, I admit. I kind of deserved that._ He did technically dump her into a presumably, cold lake very unceremoniously. He would be a bit angry as well. "Aine! Dammit….I cannot believe I am actually going to say this." His torchic hopped over to him. "Use ember on me. Low power. And make it quick. This is embarrassing." The orange chick released a small burst of weak embers, melting the ice that was frozen on his backside. Now it was wet. Which felt worse.

After feeding his pokemon, the young man looked around. Some people were jogging around the park with their pokemon, others were just sitting on benches, appreciating the morning air. The park smelled of fresh flowers, it was nearly covered in them after all. A large wingull fountain was in the middle, spewing water up into the air. Pointless, but beautiful.

Riven was determined to find a job today. Or else he would have to sleep on that dreadful bench again. Good for sitting and admiring the setting sun. Sleeping? Not so. Walking through the center of the park, he noticed something odd.

People progressively moved away from him and his pokemon; some parents even held their children back, most trainers evaded his gaze or found somewhere else to be. He had no idea why they were doing this. He even picked up little mutterings of the words: "delinquent", "ruffian", "criminal", "savage", and "mobster". _These people think I am some sort of criminal? Idiots._

Then he had enough decency to look at himself in a mirror in one of the restrooms in the park. He was dressed in a cut and burned leather cuirass and leather chaps, with worn out gloves, and had two blades at his sides and a large bow complete with a quiver that had three _real_ functional arrows. He also had two retractable knives on the undersides of his hands, which came out with a flick of a wrist. Which were also fairly visible. The fact that he was also dressed entirely in black helped worsen the effect.

_I do not look dangerous at….. oh right. _The answer hit him in the face like a bag of stones.

To other soldiers and people of ill repute he might not look alarming, but to _ordinary_ civilians, he looked entirely different. Back when he was in the military, they would sometimes pass through villages; everytime they did, they would receive short frank replies and an aversion to look at them in the eyes. It was the same here, he simply radiated _I am here to kill you,_ with his very presence.

"I need to buy some new clothing," he reasoned, realizing how he looked.

Now back in the central plaza, he entered a 'store'. That is what Amy called them. They sold goods and services in them , depending on the type of firm it was. Some sold clothing like this one, others sold food or services like dental care. This one was called "Flower Boutique". _What is it with this city and blasted flowers?_ He stepped in, seeing an assortment of clothing on white human sized models.

A helper stood in front of the store, eyes closed, greeting him. "Oh hello. Welcome to Flower Boutique! How may I help- oh." She noticed his appearance. "Sir, how….may I …help…you?"

"Why are you talking so slow? I am neither slow nor stupid."

"No reason and uh….sorry! Ummmm, the men's section is on the second floor," she quickly corrected herself, looking at those deadly looking blades. The man was armed to the teeth. Either he was here for a cosplay expo or he had just come out of the wilderness. She watched the man walk upstairs, then took out a radio and called security. "Reynolds, there's a questionable looking man on the second floor. Put surveillance on him in case he does anything suspicious."

Skimming through the clothing upstairs, he searched for something similar to his clothing. A white shirt with a grey pattern on it caught his eye. The pattern looked complex and geometric, with strange symbols around the corners. "Ah, that's a rune logo." He turned around, facing an older male helper that was dressed in the same uniform as the woman downstairs. His name tag read "L. Reynolds".

"What does it mean?" Riven asked, confused as to what the symbols meanings were.

"I don't know. They found markings like that in various places around the Hoenn region. They thought it looked cool and put it on shirts. Not many trainers pick clothing like that, they feel it doesn't represent them."

"It is appealing to me. I prefer geometric designs. The symmetry is the best part." Riven explained, holding the shirt up, pointing to the center and the sleeves where the rune was located.

The older man chuckled. "Well you're a different one I suppose. I suggest a nice vest to go with that. Like that one there." He directed his hand to a black vest with the same symbol on it's sides, colored a nice grey color with a hood attached to the back. "You might want some pants too."

"I will take the vest and the shirt. Along with these pants." The black haired trainer showed him the black chinos he had slung over his shoulders. "And a belt too."

"Nice choice, the colors complement each other and it matches your style perfectly. You should go get fitted to see what's the right size for you."

Riven walked out of the fitting room, looking much more modern than before. The clothes were lighter, and more comfortable. Less protective, but definitely lighter. Not having the reinforced leather at his knees and at his elbows made him feel a bit naked. He did like the hood though. He was just missing one thing. Some gloves.

"Where can I get some durable gloves?"

"Right over here sir."

Picking out his gloves, he tried them on. A nice black with blue 'rayquaza' accents, they were durable and had good grip. They fit perfectly and were lighter and more comfortable than his military gloves, while being equally as functional. Satisfied with his attire, he turned to the older clerk, who was admiring the young man's new look.

"How much will it be?" Riven asked, taking out a wad of cash.

"Since the store is having an everything must go sale to get ready for the winter clothing, all of your purchases will only amount to two thousand seven hundred pokeYen."

Handing over the money, he walked out of the store feeling much lighter than before. He had kept his swords, knife and bow. _No way am I discarding those_. _Too useful to let go._ The store also included a rather large bag to carry all of them in, which he slung over his back, looking like a 'guitar' player. Completely free of charge too. Hey, free things are _always _welcome. Now an important decision loomed over him. He headed back to the park.

The location was silent and there was not a single soul around him. Holding the black military uniform, he now felt torn. It represented the military. A chapter of his life that had been eye opening and equally as horrible. It had taught him many things; how the world was, how people were, and how to survive, lessons he would keep with him forever. It was a bitter gratitude. It also carried the weight of his people, his parents, their work, their _vengeance_. Vengeance he once swore he would enact.

Making a tough decision, he carried the leather to the bonfire pits, ordering Aine to light a fire. The fire blazed upwards, and Riven dumped the uniform into it, watching the flames consume the leather cuirass and chaps. The youth sat down in front of the fire for what seemed like ages, staring into the flames until his former attire was now dust and ash.

Who was he now? A soldier? A former noble? A man on a quest for vengeance?

No. He was him. No more, no less. He no longer felt the constraints of responsibility for his people or his nation. They were dead and dust like his clothing. Sure he missed his parents and Nemos, but they were gone. Not here anymore. Not important anymore.

_I am Riven. And I, am free._

He pulled over his hood and walked away, leaving the weight of the past behind, writhing in the bonfire's flames.

He was done with that. He had more important things to do. That chapter of his life was over. It was time to start anew. Change and adapt like the wave. After all, there was a whole other world out there to explore and he had only seen a sliver of it.

He smiled, "Come on world, take your best shot."

* * *

And it did alright.

Some **yvan** managed to snatch the small bag where he kept his money, since he no longer had secret pockets in which to place it, which led to a chase around the city. Climbing up buildings and jumping from rooftops, the little pickpocket managed to lose Riven in the midst of a crowd of trainers. It was exhilarating and immensely liberating but it also meant he had lost the remaining amount of money he had and had no means of obtaining anymore. He needed to eat. So did his pokemon. A heavy sigh. One thing had not changed, his impossible misfortune.

He walked to the edge of the main Petalburg plaza and sat down on a bench, unsure of what to do next. He needed a job, and _fast_. Slouching in the bench, he watched trainers come and go, seeing a plethora of skitty, poochyena, and wurmples. They were common in the area.

Uninterested in the other trainers, he thought about Amy. She was his first human friend in this world. He wondered where she was now. She mentioned that she would be staying in Petalburg for a quick errand or two, then head off to Mauville City to go meet up with her parents. He secretly wished the pretty blonde would have stayed, he liked having someone to talk to. Well, he listened to her babble most of the time. But it was not unpleasant. He liked the sound of her voice. Actually, anyone apart from him would do. Having his pokemon around all the time never made him feel lonely but they could not speak so he was unable to access the same amount of interaction he experienced with Amy.

Riven looked down as his pokemon, who wore the same bored expression as him. Sighing once again, he looked up at the sky. It was sunset again. The sky tinted orange and the clouds began to take on a reddish hue. The fluffy clouds moved slowly across the sky, a calming sight that _almost _improved his mood.

He sat in the same position for nearly a half hour, joined by his pokemon in cloud watching. Riven stuffed his hands in his pant pockets, trying to find some money. Nothing. _Stupid pickpocket_. Of course, he could just battle all of the trainers in the park and snatch their money but they were all just starters. They did not have much money and would not be able to meet his needs. He needed richer targets. Unfortunately, there were not many.

Adjusting himself on the bench, he pulled his hood up and went to sleep. Another day had gone by and nothing had been accomplished.

The next three days were uneventful and fruitless. No job, no money. He had resorted to swiping food at the farmer's market to feed himself. Pokefood formula was also dangerously low. He needed to buy more, but he needed money for that too. Stealing here was illegal too. Except in his world, you lost an arm for doing it. Not that it stopped him and Nemos though. They swiped food all the time. _When in need, you are in need, to hell with the rules, survival first._

Munching on an apple, Riven passed by a decently sized building with a pokeball logo on it. The sign read, "Petalburg City Gym, Leader Norman" This must be one of those pokemon gyms that the trainers went raving mad over.

Walking inside, he was stopped by a man at the entrance. "Halt, trainer. Before you progress further, do you have four gym badges?"

Riven took a bite out of his apple with a loud crunch. He flipped open an empty badge case.

The man facepalmed and gestured him to turn back. "You can't face Norman until you have a total of four badges and more than three pokemon."

Well, he had three pokemon but no badges, so he walked out of the building. Flipping open Charles, Riven asked him a question, "Charles, who is the first Hoenn region gym leader?"

"Ah, yes sir. That would be Roxanne, the Rustboro Gym Leader. That is your destination right? Perhaps I suggest hitting two taillow with one stone and acquiring your pokenav and the first gym badge in one stroke?" Charles suggested.

"Good suggestion, Charles."

"My pleasure sir. Is that all you ask of me?"

"Yes. Although I might call on you for a bit of conversation at times. You know, like at the hospital. That would be nice."

"Lonely sir?" Charles could detect a bit of longing in his owner's voice.

"Not really. Just longing for some conversation with someone that is not just myself. I enjoy my own thoughts and musings but it does get stale quickly."

"I fully understand."

"Thank you, Charles." Flipping him closed, Riven walked around the city a bit. Flyers were posted on the walls everywhere. Apparently there was an event going on tomorrow at the concert hall, a 'contest', whatever that was. He picked up a flyer, scanning it over with faint disinterest. It sounded terribly unappealing, until he read in bold letters at the bottom of the paper,** Security Detail Needed. Running Short. Competent Trainers being hired.**

Riven's mood skyrocketed. He had found a possible income source! He looked for the address on the paper, _2754 Lily Road Way, Office of Contests and Events, North Petalburg City_. He had never been to North Petalburg, apparently it was inhabited by people who had an unhealthy obsession with the gym leader, Norman. An almost fanatical obsession to be precise. Creepy, but that was their business not his.

He hitched a ride on a bus with an open roof, climbing a street light and jumping on as it passed below. It was insane but it was rather fun. He wanted to do it again. The people sitting on the bus thought he was mad, jumping off a street light onto a moving vehicle. Releasing his pokemon from their balls again, he was glad to find them enjoying the ride. His absol stuck her head out, watching the blur of people and buildings as they moved across Petalburg. Mischief psychically played with a bald man's single hair and Aine jumped incessantly in her seat, brimming with vigor.

Riven could not help but admire the ease of transportation in this world. Mechanical machines called cars used fuel, which they burned to move a multitude of internal gears and levers, producing motion. A person 'drove' it with a wheel and two levers below their feet. The levers controlled the velocity of the machination and the steering wheel controlled the direction in which the rubber wheels moved. People payed for the fuel but it was well worth it, being able to move around quickly. He sat back and enjoyed the ride, feeling the wind flow through his hair.

They arrived about an hour later, stopping in front of an office building with a flowered pokeball sign on it. He walked inside, looking at the sharply dressed people inside, heading towards the registry desk. Looking at the secretary, who was typing away, he stated, "Excuse me. I am here for a job."

The woman stopped typing and looked up in slight annoyance, "Sorry, but if you want a job here you'll have to show me a high school diploma or better."

"I meant the security job for tomorrow's event."

"OH. Well why didn't you say so?" Riven smacked himself with his palm.

The secretary led him to the Petalburg contest director, Malcolm Van. The man had a thin twirly mustache and a booming voice. "Sir, he's here for the security job."

"SPLENDID! SIMPLY SPLENDID!" The man boomed, placing a hand on Riven's shoulders. The young man winced in pain, cupping his abused ears.

"I suppose you want to know all the details first?"

Riven recovered and stated, "What am I doing and how much am I getting paid." He hardly cared what he was doing, as long as he was getting his pay. Kill first, ask questions later. That was his policy. Hesitate and you are dead. It was a simple no nonsense way of life.

"Ah. Straight to the point. I like that. No beating around the bush, no sir!" He responded cheerfully. He drank a glass of some brown liquid. "Since you're the first, you will have the very special honor of protecting the most honored contestant there!" He stared at the young man, whose expression didn't change at all. " You'll be protecting Norman's very own daughter, the renowned pokemon Coordinator, the Princess of Hoenn!" He stroked his mustache. "Beautiful, skilled, and wonderfully alluring to the eyes of men, you get to be her personal bodyguard." He looked at the trainer again, this time fully expecting to see the drooling expression that most men had whenever they heard of the Princess of Hoenn. Her beauty was simply staggering. However, the boy's expression didn't change in the slightest.

"Alright," he responded simply, ignoring the man's stunned gawk in response to his nonchalant attitude. _I have no idea who this Princess even is. Is she royalty or something? Eh, who cares. At least they are paying me_. Which brought up a very important question. "How much?"

"OH! Since it is a special event, the security will be doubled. Your pay also got doubled as well! Your position in particular is 15000 pokeYen guaranteed!" Van grinned wildly, bouncing on his tip toes.

_Fifteen. FIFTEEN. Wow. I need to get me some of that._ Mind made up, the black haired trainer confirmed, "I will take it."

"Good, Good! Be here tomorrow at noon, that is when the contestants will arrive. Good luck!" He scratched his head. "Oh right! What was your name?"

"Gray."

"No last name?"

"No."

Writing information on a document, he handed it over to Riven. "Sign here and here." Riven picked up the mechanical quill and signed a simple Gray in scarily formal writing. Van's eyes nearly shot out of his skull at how beautifully written Gray had signed his name_. An art student turned security guard? What has this world come to?_ He watched the young man and his pokemon leave the office building and shook his head. _Such a shame_.

Content with his new job, he hitched another bus ride back, the same way he had last time. The ex soldier started to like the city a little more, there were plenty of high places and vantage points. _Higher ground is always better._ It was still a few hours until sundown though, so he had time to spare. He needed to entertain himself somehow.

Spotting a building with plenty of people around the entrance, he got off the bus and headed there. It was a large edifice with screens that had different pictures on them, usually accompanied with some sort of cheesy title. _G-Men: Days of Future's Past_, _How to Train your Salamence 2: Coming soon, A Million Ways to Die in Kanto,Tyranizilla,The Amazing Ariados._ What were these?

Curious, he managed to slip by undetected into the building in the midst of a large crowd. He entered the 'cinema 5' which was showing that one G-Men thing. Apparently they were "movies", fake recordings of actors and "special" effects that combined to make a story and present it in film format. He watched the movie and understood absolutely nothing but he had to admit the fight scenes were rather impressive. It left him feeling a bit pumped.

Riven ran back the rest of the way to the park, alongside White Queen and Aine, who were happy to stretch their legs and get some exercise. The run was invigorating, reminding him of the times he would climb mountains as a scout, eager to reach the top. Looking out hundreds of feet below, he would feel amazing. He felt so alive that he thought he could just sprout wings and take off, leaving everything behind. Reaching the park, his energy had not subsided at all. He decided to practice something he had not performed in a long time.

He fell into a stance, closing his eyes. Feeling the breeze in the air, he listened to the movements and sounds of the park around him. Moving in controlled movements, he imagined a sword in both hands, slashing through the air as he moved about, raising his awareness and his strength. He practiced the kata, which his father had him instructed to learn, as it aided in the use of blades. It guided the blade, allowing the user to use different forms of attack instead of the traditional hack and slash attacks that most other clans used.

Picking up the pace, he began sweeping and thrusting his arms forward, movements becoming more erratic and unpredictable. This was not part of the original kata, but something he invented when he decided that the classic forms were too slow and easily predictable, although very powerful. His kata was more fluid and frenetic.

Unbeknownst to him, a small crowd of people began watching him as he moved about the center, including his own pokemon, who were entranced by the performance. Finishing the routine, he placed his palms towards the floor, then straightened and exhaled deeply.

Opening his eyes, he was surprised to see all the eyes staring back at him. He felt a little embarrassed. Then someone started clapping. "Wow! That was great! Did you see those moves?" A dark skinned boy mentioned to his friend, who was nodding in agreement. "It was slow and mystical at first, then BAM! Break dance extreme! It was totally awesome!" Riven only stared dumbfounded, the strange terms flying over his head.

A boy with glasses came up to him, "That looked like swords dance at the end! Very cool! I remember seeing a Grovyle use those moves before! Your absol doesn't know it yet? You should teach it! How did you learn it anyway?" The kid hammered away, talking very very fast.

Riven looked confused and held his hands out, bidding the child to _slow_ down, " I sort of just discovered the thing. No one really taught me."

The darker skinned boy ran down next to the two. "Oh cool! Can you teach us?" He asked rather excited.

Riven shrugged. It was not sunset yet and there was still some hours to go. Why not? Calling White Queen over to learn as well, he told the boys and their friends to get close. The dark skinned boy took out a small portable device out of his backpack and plugged it into some black boxes with holes in them. The sound that played out of his device was amplified and was much louder. The tune was catchy and spirited, inspiring him to move.

"You better keep up."

Both boys jumped in excitement, "ALRIGHT!"

The black haired trainer and his newly found dance acolytes practiced the kata for five hours, until the clock read eight pm and the sun began to set. Telling them to practice more, he headed back to his bench. He was tired. So was White Queen, who almost fell asleep standing up. She had managed to learn the dance fairly quickly, and found it enjoyable to do, despite being very tiring.

Riven enjoyed the experience too, which attracted a very large crowd of onlookers. He hoped he could do it again, it was very fun and got a lot of trainers and pokemon moving. It was a good day. He had found a job and even had some fun. But it was time to call it a night. Returning Aine and Mischief to their balls, the young man and his absol fell into a deep sleep.

* * *

Riven woke up, feeling uncomfortable from the heat of the sun. It was eight in the morning, four hours left until noon. Pokemon fed and ready to go, the trainer headed back to the Contest Office on Lily Road Way, hitching another ride. Stepping into the building, Van shot up next to him, leading him into the building with haste.

"Oh good, you've arrived." He frowned, looking at Riven's casual looking clothes. "Oh those clothes, heavens no! You need a uniform, here." He threw him into a dressing room, filled to the brim with fancy suits with a petal logo on the collar. Taking one, he put it on, placing his clothes in a locker, as well as his weapon case. A man with a fuller figure appeared, handing him a metal baton.

"You're gonna need this in case someone tries anything funny. Just flick it outwards and beat 'em on the head with it." Taking the baton, he retracted it and placed it on his belt. Now in uniform, it was time to head to the Contest Hall.

The security team for the event rode in a black car together into central Petalburg, stopping in front of the plaza where the Contest Hall was located. Lines extended into the plaza with people waiting to buy tickets to enter the viewing stands. _This must be some really important event, _Riven thought_._ Exiting the vehicle, the security team headed inside, where last minute adjustments were being made. The contest would begin in three hours.

Riven and the rest of his fellow security simply stood at the entrances, waiting for the people to be allowed in. An announcement was made over the intercom and people flooded inside like stamping Donphan. The guards backed away, careful not to get trampled by the crazed horde. The seats in the hall filled up quickly, noise and whistles coming from every direction. They were ready to see the show.

Van appeared on stage, inciting an explosion of noise and applause from the crowd. "Thank you, Thank You!" Blocked out by the noise, he waited a moment for the noise to die down. "Welcome to Petalburg! The City of Flowers! And welcome to the 40th Annual Petalburg City Contest!" The audience roared in response. It was hurting Riven's ears. "As you all know, we will have wonderful appeals and beautiful performances. As well as appearances from legendary pokemon coordinators, the Green Rose of LaRousse, Drew!" Some girls started foaming at the mouth, Riven stifled a chuckle.

"And boys! Yes, the Princess of Hoenn, May!" The crowd erupted, whistles and strips of paper floating down from the stands. This was her hometown, naturally the people would root for her. "Now without further ado, I present the judges: Nurse Joy from Petalburg, Alexa Laise from the Kalos Region, and David Bower, Mayor of Petalburg!" The crowd clapped loudly, only intensifying when Van called out Alexa's name. It was only the boys who clapped louder, sending some wolf-whistles her way. She giggled, reddening a bit.

"The prize will be a Petalburg City Ribbon and this special jewel, a marvel of brilliance, found deep in a cave in Mt Chimney!" He demonstrated the ribbon and a white shining jewel to the crowd, who were mesmerized by it's appearance.

Riven's right eye started stinging a bit, he rubbed it and shook his head, thinking nothing of it. He had a strange feeling in his stomach. Dismissing it, he turned his attention back to the stage. Nothing looked out of place, but one could never know for sure. Scanning the crowd, he figured it was just paranoia.

Van continued, "LET THE CONTEST BEGIN!" The mustached man raised his hands, officially starting the contest.

Amidst the crowd's cheering, Riven could not shake the feeling that something was about to go wrong. He felt a strange malice in the air.

It felt familiar. It felt wrong.

* * *

_**Yvan : asshole**_


	9. Petals of Crimson

The pokemon contest was not as boring and uninteresting as Riven thought. It was actually quite the spectacle. The contestants were called coordinators. They take the stage and make their 'appeals', combining different moves to make dazzling visuals and effects.

Some looked "cool", some were beautiful, and others were simply stunning. The girl he was supposed to be protecting afterwards, this so called 'Princess of Hoenn', made a wonderful appeal that made diamond dust come down onto the stage. He could not help but clap. Drew's was equally as impressive. His roserade created figures made of leaves that interacted with each other, before finally bursting into brilliant lights.

The battle rounds looked similar to regular pokemon battles, but instead the contestants had a point meter that went down if their pokemon were hit by stylish moves. Riven was intrigued by the flashy combinations and reversals between Drew and May, realizing why the crowd was so energized. He simply stared in awe and wonder, too mesmerized by the combinations to criticize or clap.

It was a fierce and spectacular battle between the two final coordinators, but May ultimately won , winning with only a few points remaining. The audience clapped and roared at her victory.

Van stepped forward, bringing May up to the very front of the stage. He smiled wide and presented the ribbon and the jewel to the coordinator, placing the necklace around her neck. Riven's eye started to sting a bit again, looking at the small white jewel. He put on some shades that came with his guard uniform, the stone's light hurt his eye and made the black jewel on his neck pulse a deep blue color.

"I am proud to announce the winner of the 40th annual Petalburg City contest, the Princess of Hoenn, May!" The crowd exploded into cheers and congratulatory screams, proud that their home contestant had taken the ribbon. There was only one oddity however.

The security team next to him was deathly silent. No claps, whistles, smiles, or any hint of joy. They kept glancing at their watches, most of them were sweating. The contest hall was air conditioned and pleasantly cool, they should not be sweating. They were acting very suspicious. _Why do they keep looking at their watches? Are they waiting for something? Maybe it is just the attitude of a security? No. Not possible. Van said I was the first, implying that these other six had come later. They have no permanent job at the Office ._ Which meant that they had seen the flyer like him and signed up, but judging from their behavior, all of them signed up _at the same time_. Six men do not just all get a job as security detail_. It seems they have other motives, motives I do not know about yet. I will continue watching them._

Feigning ignorance, Riven continued clapping and applauding, while keeping an eye on the men next to him. On the stage, Norman joined his daughter and waved at the crowd. They began walking off stage and out of the contest hall. Riven followed, while the other securities escorted the other contestants out. They headed outside, walking in between two sides of the crowd, which were separated by metal railings.

May and her father were shaking hands and taking photos with fans. Nothing seemed off at first.

Then the feeling he got back in the hall returned stronger than before. It made him nauseous, causing the hairs on the back of his neck to stand up and a wave of electricity to crawl down his spine. Fully alert and vigilant, he scanned the crowd for any danger.

The feeling intensified and became almost overwhelming. He turned in every direction, analyzing faces and looking at hands. Seeing nothing, he turned back to May, who was about to shake the hand of a man in a business suit.

A glint of silver, and Riven knew what this feeling was. Killing intent.

He _moved_.

The businessman's eyes turned hollow and empty, like a madman's, as he shook May's hand. It scared her. Then, he placed a vice-like grip on her right shoulder, hurting her. "Stop it. You're hurting me!" Norman was about to step in when the man in the suit pulled out something metallic, holding the knife in reverse. He was about to bring it down on her when someone gripped his arm. It was her security guard, a black haired young man with shades.

_Killing intent spotted. Lethal Force authorized_. This man wanted to assassinate the girl. There was no time for questions. He needed to put him down before the others came. This was no random occurrence, it was pre-meditated. There would be more in the crowd, assassins never came alone anymore. _If one fails, send another to finish the job. Not today. I want to get paid._

He brought the man's arm down and twisted it, snapping the bones in his wrist, which caused him severe pain. The knife dropped and Riven caught it as it fell, flipping in reverse. He held it up and stabbed the man three times in the chest, burying the knife all the way to the handle into the assassin's heart. The man stared at Riven in dying surprise and fell lifeless onto the floor.

May screamed, shocking the crowd who only stared, witnessing the death of a man. They looked at Riven in disgust and mortification.

Chaos erupted. Adults and children bolted, running for their lives. Some got on their knees, screaming in horror. People shoved and pushed through the crowd, trying to get away. The news crews stared, cameras capturing everything.

It was then that a man rose up from the crowd and flashed a small metal weapon. It flashed and a loud bang was heard. Riven turned around, seeing Norman back away a few steps. He put a hand to his gut, seeing blood cover his palm. He sunk to the floor, wounded.

Riven turned to his absol, " GO MEGA HORN. DO NOT HOLD BACK." The shooter desperately tried reloading, his first shot had missed the girl and had hit her father instead. He needed to load another shot before the security could get close. He replaced the bullet and aimed the gun again, nearly getting the girl in his sights, until a green light appeared next to him. His eyes widened, feeling something tear into him. He looked down, noticing that the security's absol had cut him from left shoulder to right hip. Blood sprayed out as he fell. It coated the ground and railing, as well as some of the people around him.

May had screamed so much she couldn't anymore. She was deathly afraid, her knees were weak and quivering. She watched her father struggle to breathe, having just been shot. Someone shook her. It was her guard. His face was full of dire concern. "Snap out of it. Focus May. I need you to focus."

She wavered, " I-I-I c-an't."

"Yes you can, now listen to me." He held her face with his hands. "I need you to help Norman up and take him to one of the news vans. Tell them you need to get to the hospital right away. He is bleeding badly and needs medical attention right now. My pokemon will escort you there. Now go!"

"What about you?"

"I will be fine, I will take care of anyone who tries to follow you. They are after you, May. Do not let them catch you." He motioned his absol and his kirlia to follow them. "You two, protect them. Keep them safe. If anyone tries to hurt them, take them out." His pokemon nodded and stood beside the girl and her father, leading them back to the van.

The rest of the security team broke out of the hall. They looked at the two dead assassins on the floor and cursed. Spotting Riven, they knew he had been the one who ruined their primary plan. The tallest and most foreboding of them, a bald man with tan skin, hissed. "You little shit. I knew you were going to be trouble." He looked past Riven, spotting their vehicle. They had to get through the security before they could chase after the girl. "I guess we'll just have to kill you. Then we'll kill the girl." He pointed at the black haired young man, "Kill him."

One of them rushed forward, eager to carry out the deed.

Adrenaline rushed into Riven's veins. _Life or death. Kill or be killed._ This was it. He fell into his stance, waiting for the man to come to him.

He predicted the man's right hook, dodging to the right while grabbing his arm. He turned his back towards his attacker and used his body weight to throw him over his shoulder onto the pavement. Riven lifted his leg and mercilessly crushed the man's windpipe. He left him writhing on the floor, gasping for air.

_Two more incoming_.

He exchanged blows with them both, parrying their rights and lefts expertly. They were not experienced fighters. Diving in between both of them, he rolled on the ground behind them. Delivering a low heel kick to the side of the knee of the man on the left, he heard a jarring snap. The man howled in pain and fell onto his knees, screaming in anguish. Riven recovered and narrowly dodged a baton to the head, now right next to the man. Shifting in a side stance, with his left hip facing the other man, he spun to the right, striking the man's skull with a spinning hook kick. His assailant fell on the ground, having suffered a concussion.

He had no time to breathe as two others swung at him with metal batons. He dodged baton strikes, backing up considerably, trying to evade vicious blows aimed at his head. Ducking under a horizontal attack, he gave a right elbow to the man's floating ribs, followed by a knee strike to the diaphragm, knocking his air out. Seeing the other man approaching, he elbowed the gasping man in the temple, dropping him to the ground.

Riven was unable to react fast enough to dodge the metal baton from the other attacker. It smashed across his left side, no doubt bruising if not cracking his ribs. He recoiled in pain, staggering back a few steps, grabbing onto the metal railing on the right. Predicting a vertical smash to his head, he grit his teeth together and dodged to the left, while extending his own baton. The enemy's weapon clanged against the railing, missing him.

His attacker whipped back, only to be met with a baton to his fingers. His fingers cracked , causing him to drop his weapon. The black haired man struck again, smashing the baton on his clavicle, then into his head, knocking him out.

Riven now faced the last man. The largest one of the group. The man was massive. His opponent extended his own baton.

They clashed, batons clanging against each other. However, the bigger man was at an advantage. He was stronger, beating Riven back with his brutal strikes. He swung down in a powerful overheard vertical strike, smashing against Riven's weapon, forcing it out of his hand. He kicked it away and slammed his weapon across the smaller security's mouth.

Riven fell back a few paces away, bleeding from the mouth. The strike disoriented him and left his vision blurry. He was unable to notice the larger man discard the baton for a much deadlier weapon.

The larger security guard laughed at the younger man's pitiful attempt to save the day. "You want to play the hero huh kid? Wake up. On second thought, nevermind. You're dead anyway." He grabbed Riven's head and smashed it into the railing, causing blood to run down from his scalp down into his right eye. He stood over him and lifted him up. Then he took out a knife and plunged it repeatedly into the head security's abdomen. Blood dripped onto the ground. The older man cackled sadistically. He enjoyed seeing the boy die.

Riven gasped feeling the blade stab him. His vision started to blacken.

He was dying. Time seemed to slow down, as he lost consciousness.

He found himself in a pitch black space, with no lights anywhere to be seen. A large reddish black ball of energy appeared to him.

_Pathetic. You used to be strong. You used to be relentless. Merciless. Now you are soft. This world has changed you. Now you are dying._

_You discarded your strength for freedom. Trainer? Hah. You are a soldier, loyal to the Cerul clan. Do not forget where you came from. Draw your strength from me, or I will consume you._

It chuckled, low and diabolical.

_Now it is time to have some FUN!_

Riven stopped gasping, clutching the other man's arm with inhuman strength. He growled, like a frenzied houndoom. A deadly aura washed over the area, scaring the crowd, but especially the other security guard. He couldn't pull away.

One second he was overpowering the runt and the next, he was stronger than five men put together. _What the fuck? Freak!_ He tried to pull his hand away in a futile attempt to get away. The kid's grip was too strong. _How did he get so strong? _He looked at the young man's face, which had blood running down from his face down onto his right eye, his shades were cracked and broken. But the most terrifying part was the savage grin that the boy had on his face. His canines were sharp and his teeth were stained red. He looked happy.

Then he felt the boy crush his hand with a vicegrip. The bones in his hand pulverized and he was blasted backwards with a simple palm strike. The kid stood there looking down at his wounds. He gripped the knife stuck in his abdomen and pulled it out, blood shooting out. Then he stopped bleeding. Walking slowly over to him, the larger man screamed in pain and fear. "DON'T COME CLOSE YOU FUCKING FREAK! GET AWAY! SOMEBODY HELP ME!"

Riven stopped in front of the cowering man, stabbing him in the knee with his own knife. He was not going to escape. He smelled the man's fear and released a guttural and deranged laugh. His right eye opened up, a blood red color.

In his eyes, the other man saw madness and evil. It was like staring at your worst nightmare. The younger man looked crazed, bloodthirsty, and sinister. The security guard was about to scream.

His scream was stopped by the monsters finger. It spoke, mad and demonic. "Hero? Me? HAHAHAHA! No. You know who I am? I'm just ME!" The freak slammed a fist into his jaw. He spit out his teeth in a spray of blood. The blow felt like a car had hit him in the jaw, it was dislocated in one hit.

The monster continued hammering away with explosive punches to the man's face, leaving him a bloody mess. The man slumped onto the contest hall's doors, already unconscious. He was about to deliver the finishing blow when something inside stopped him. It was the weakling. His arm shook, showing signs of struggle.

_NO! Do not stop me. He needs to die. Paint the walls with his blood! KILL! KILL! KILL!_

A voice in the bloodthirsty monster's head answered back.

_Get out of my body. You do not belong there. Get out._

A force pulled him back into the dark pit from whence he came. He was forced back inside by the weak owner of this body.

Riven awoke in his body again, struggling against the monster in his mind. He had never experienced this before. This was entirely new. The deadly aura lifted, leaving behind only the horror and fear which were present before.

He spat out crimson fluid. Inspecting his abdomen, he found there were no stab wounds. They were completely nonexistent, healthy skin where there should be puncture wounds. He clutched his burning ribs, looking around. The crowd was silent. They were staring at the young man, who seemed completely different from a moment ago. Forgetting the psychotic behavior from a moment ago, they only saw the man that protected the people and the Princess from killers. However, they were still wary of him, backing away from him considerably.

"Is everyone alright?" They slowly nodded in confirmation. He groaned. Sirens were heard, the police were coming. The news crews could not believe what they had just captured on live tv. Reporters stood deathly still with their mouths agape. The cameramen held onto their cameras for dear life, paralyzed at the scene.

The police arrived and flooded the scene, escorting people out, gazing at all the blood. Three men were dead, with five other unconscious. One of which was brutally battered near the contest hall doors, leaving blood stains on the walls. It was an ugly sight. They had seen things like this before but the feeling of disgust never got old.

A detective examined the bodies. One of the men was slashed diagonally from left shoulder to right hip, a bloody mess. The other had a crushed windpipe. He probably died from asphyxiation. The final fatality had three stab wounds in the chest, with the murder weapon still stuck inside his body. Taking the other unconscious men custody, he looked at the sole standing figure in the middle of the mess. A black haired young man bleeding from the mouth and scalp, clutching his ribs. He had bloody hands. He was the one who did this.

The detective took out handcuffs and cuffed the injured man. He had no idea what happened. He needed testimonies and witnesses.

* * *

Back at the police precinct building, the detective had the young man in an interrogation room. He was still bloody and beaten. His right eye was swollen closed and blood was drying around it. He had washed his mouth of blood into a sink in the bathroom. He looked like shit.

The detective, John Williams, gripped the bridge of his nose. This was a high profile case. Attempted assassination of a celebrity in broad daylight, the murder of three suspects, and several reports of the man in the room going insane. Motives of either side, unknown.

Witnesses testified that the man in the cell protected Norman's daughter from an assassination attempt and stopped pursuers. However, the detective was highly suspicious_. A security guard, stopped a whole team of men by himself?_ _Security guards are never trained for combat. At most, they sit around and let things unfold. _Looking at the footage, he saw something that deeply disturbed him. _The young man fought professionally, and didn't hesitate to kill. He's killed before. But he's so young, and I've never seen a style like that before. And then there's that._ Williams rewinded the recording and played it over, watching the radical shift in behavior after being stabbed. _His attacks became wild and relentless, almost bloodthirsty. Witnesses reported a heavy feeling in the air of dread and evil. Could just be shock._

Williams turned to his partner. "Rose, can you bring me some files on this guy? Residency records, hospital visits, jobs, anything. Check his prints too."

"I can't." She responded, surprising him. She never said that.

"Why not?"

"Because there isn't anything to give." Rose showed him an empty computer screen. The words read : No files found.

"What? No files found? That's impossible!"

"I know."

This man was a ghost. A nobody. A shadow. _Who the fuck is he? _ He groaned, dreading what the suspect was going to say. _Guess I have no choice._

Williams stepped into the interrogation room, placing some files on the desk. The man across from him looked bored and impatient but far from nervous. He started, "Look buddy. I know you've had a rough day but I need you to tell me what happened. This is serious. Everything, since the beginning. I'll be asking you questions about anything I deem important. Is that clear?"

Nodding in response, 'Gray' started to explain ,"Fine. I walked in the office yesterday to apply for a job. I saw the posts around the city and figured ,why the hell not?"

Williams interjected, "Why did you apply for that job specifically?

"I had no money and I could not find any other jobs around the city. I tried searching for a week but found nothing."

"Continue."

"So I came in around noon, got dressed and went to the event. Nothing strange happened during the actual contest. Then we went outside and you know the rest."

His explanation was incredibly vague. Williams needed more details. "What can you tell me about the other security guards there?"

"I did not associate with them. I was there to do my job, get out and get paid. However, they did change in behavior after the contest winner was announced."

"What sort of change?"

"They stopped looking at their watches and started staring at May, not in lust by the way. It was more like "acquired target". I found it odd so I kept an eye on them."

"They were working with the men who tried to assassinate her?"

"I would presume so. I also found this." He showed the detective a bloody pin with an atomic insignia on it. It didn't look familiar to Williams.

Taking it, he examined the pin. He would have to cross reference it with anything in the records and see if anything came up. "You took it off one of them?"

"That is correct." His calm responses unnerved the detective_. _Calm and collected responses always set him on edge. They just weren't natural.

"Alright. Tell me why you killed those men." Williams knew that the boy didn't have to kill them. It could have been avoided. So why did he do it? Did he enjoy it? He certainly looked like a person that could go on random psychotic rampages.

"Is that a rhetorical question detective? I killed them because they were going to kill May and attempted to kill me. If she dies, I cannot get paid and if I die, money is pointless. So rephrase your question detective."

"You didn't have to kill them." The kid's responses were pissing him off, each successive response exponentially aggravated him. This guy just felt fifty shades of secretive and rubbed him wrong almost as bad as a serial killer did.

"Yes. I did. Lethal force must be met with lethal force. I did what I had to."

"Killing is wrong, you're only a boy, you don't need to do this. They didn't have to die."

"Detective, do not fool yourself." He chuckled. "Morality is just a bunch of tauros shit someone on a high horse invented to think themselves better than others. Oh, you do not kill? How good of you. Then when someone puts a knife at your throat, you can revel in how much of a saint you are because you deny your nature and refuse to end a life. Besides, I did my job. I am expecting my pay."

"We are dealing with a near assassination and you only think about money?!" Williams was stunned, unable to believe what the young man had just said to him. Cynical and selfish brat.

"I do not care for your concerns or of anyone else's detective. I simply want my money and be on my way. If they tread on me, I will destroy them. If they do not, I will ignore them." No hesitation, no waver in his voice. Resolute and simple truth.

Williams snapped. " THEN WHY DID YOU PROTECT HER? WHY DIDN'T YOU JUST LET HER DIE YOU FUCKING HYPOCRITE!"

"Her life was my job." He spread his hands, indicating that his response was final. "You need to calm down, detective."

The detective punched the glass, leaving his knuckles red. He stormed out of the room, furious. His coworkers looked at him.

Rose asked, "John. What happened?"

"That kid is a fucked up mess, that's what. He thinks killing someone is totally fine. He says he just wants to get paid. He doesn't give a rat's ass about what happened. Girl nearly dies and all he cares about is his fifteen thousand? FUCK HIM_!" How can he be so apathetic? That fucking clown._

His sergeant put a hand on his shoulder. A large and physically imposing man. "John, calm down. We all know how you feel about people like him. But you need to let it go. We can't hold him. There are hundreds of people that saw that video. It was self defense. He's going free. Interrogate the others when they wake up, they might provide more answers."

Williams sat down in his desk, fuming as he saw the cynical fuck walk out of the interrogation room and out of the building.

"I'm going to arrest him one day. I'll make sure of it."

Riven walked out of the police precinct office, still clutching his side_. I better get hazard pay out of this._

* * *

He entered the Petalburg City hospital, asking for a Norman. The nurse directed him to the fourth floor, where he was currently located.

He slowly opened the door, seeing a bed-ridden Norman with a breather mask attached to his face. May instantly sat up, realizing who just walked in. His absol and his kirlia were next to her, trying to comfort her.

Riven eyed her dully, feeling exhausted. "You alright?"

"Yeah." She noticed his sorry state. "I'm sorry. For what happened to you back there. And thank you. For protecting me."

"It was my job. Although, I did not know I would be protecting you from a bloody assassination. Van better pay at least another five thousand or we will have _words,_" he said, clenching a fist in the air. May shrunk at the gesture, remembering how he killed that guy.

A few minutes of silence passed by.

Riven stared at Norman, seeing his chest rise and fall."Is he fine?"

"Yeah, he's stable. The news crew drove us here as fast as possible and the doctors started surgery right away. The bullet missed his spine. I'm really glad."

"Good. How did my pokemon treat you?"

"Your pokemon were amazing. Your absol is very kind and beautiful." He scoffed at the kind comment. "But your kirlia is a bit mischievous. It put it's face in my chest." She complained, pointing at her lady lumps. Riven choked. "I punched him for it."

"Ah, sorry. He is a bit…like that. I need to do something about that." Clearing his throat, he stood up. "Well, good luck to you and I hope your father makes a speedy recovery. I have been in the hospital before. Let me tell you, not pleasant." He snapped his fingers.

"Mischief, White Queen, time to get paid." He said as his two pokemon walked towards him. He did not want to worry the girl with such things. Instead, he gave her a warning. "May, hide that jewel. Keep it safe. Do not let anyone see it. It might be more valuable than you think." Deliberately keeping the jewel's supposed significance to himself, he left the room.

May watched him leave, he was a strange guy but there was something of an _other_ to him. It wasn't friendly like Ash's or annoying like Drew's. It was just there. I didn't have a friendly or hostile feel to it. It was just there. She sat back down, staring at the door.

_Gray. I'll remember that name._

* * *

It was late. Riven stood in Van's office, watching him write a check.

"Alright, Gray. I have indeed included five thousand extra as your requested hazard pay. You did stop an assassination. You're a hero!"

"Do not call me a hero. I hate heroes. All they are good for is saying motivational speeches and dying."

_Cynical young man_. " Well, uh, here you go! Exchange it at a bank and they will give it to you in cash or you can leave it in your bank account."

The black haired trainer took the check without a word and turned to the dressing room. He came back outside dressed in his casual attire, carrying a large case over his back. Heading for the door, Van spoke up, voice a bit apologetic. "Gray. I'm-" Gray cut him off.

"People have been saying sorry to me all day. I do not want another. Have a pleasant evening Van." The door shut, leaving Van in silence.

Riven walked out of the building, more worn out than he had ever felt before. He made it back to the park, dropping onto the grass below. Spreading himself over the grass, he stared into the sky. It was clear, no clouds in sight.

Stars littered the sky, forming constellations and clusters. An enormous belt of stars was seen overhead, his father said they were called galaxies. They were collections of billions upon trillions of stars, rotating around one center of gravity. He and his pokemon watched the stars, pointing out constellations he could see. The universe was vast. Bigger than anything he had ever imagined. He stuck a hand out, trying to touch the stars, which was silly because they were millions of miles away. He put it down, this time resting it on his right eye.

_What is this place? And what is happening to me? Am I even in the same world?_

Turning on the soft grass, he saw a rose with crimson petals. He crushed it.

"I hate roses."

* * *

Amy sat in her parents' backyard in Mauville City. It was a beautiful night outside. The streets were peaceful and the sky was clear, blankets of stars everywhere. The milky way was visible in the night sky, a bright milky ridge of stars clumped together. She stroked her swablu, which sat on her head. It's plumage was extremely soft, feeling good against her fingers.

"It's so peaceful. I wonder who else is seeing the same thing?" She asked her swablu, which only chirped in response.

Her thoughts turned to Gray, whom she abruptly left in Petalburg. It had been nearly a week since then. She hoped that he had found a job and had enough money to go to Rustboro. She remembered his stoic face, his majestic absol, the smug little kirlia, and that impossibly cute torchic. But most of all, she remembered that strange blue eye, that turned blood red that night. The same blood red eye that haunted her dreams some nights since then. Terrifying. Amy sighed, she kind of missed his presence. It made her feel…..safe? Yawning, she stood back up and headed inside.

Her mom was watching the Hoenn channel 7 news. She had golden hair like her, that's where she got it from. Some people said that she was the spitting image of her mother, who hadn't lost her beauty either. Amy sat down on the table, preparing to eat her dinner. She ate her spaghetti as she watched the news.

The news anchors presented a story called Blood in the City of Petals, a ridiculous name. That is, until they began reporting what it was about.

_A horrifying incident took place today in Petalburg City. The annual contest held there had gone off with a single flaw, until the contestant winner walked outside and was attacked by a man dressed in a business suit, holding a knife. It has been reported as an attempted assassination. The man who stopped the assassin was the head security guard, a young black haired male of pale complexion, standing roughly six feet tall. He has not been spotted since the incident and was questioned by the police at a nearby station. The security guard fought off six men, who were masquerading as security guards themselves. His pokemon escorted the contest winner, the renowned Princess of Hoenn, to a news vehicle, which drove her and her wounded father to the nearby hospital. Three of the assailants are reported dead, with one being in critical condition, having suffered severe head trauma. The entire scene was captured live by Alexa Laise from Kalos television. WARNING: the footage is disturbing and viewer discretion is advised. If young are with you, turn the television off at this moment._

Amy was silent, unable to believe what she had just heard. The television went black then showed a video of the scene. It showed the young man disarming the attacker, killing him then talking to the gym leader's daughter. She saw a white blur and a man in the stands fell, spraying blood out in front of him. Then it showed the head guard fighting off the other faux security with a variety of strikes and powerful kicks. She flinched watching him smash the first guy's throat with his foot.

She watched in silence as the bigger security overpowered him and started stabbing him in the stomach with a knife. Then she froze. She saw the younger guard stop throwing up blood, then noticed the larger guard's face fill with terror. He had seen something horrifying. The younger guy then grabbed his arm and crushed it, using his palm to send the much larger man against the doors of the contest hall. He pulled out the knife and played with it, finally stabbing it into the man's leg. She could make out maniacal laughter amongst the screams, before the younger security started brutally smashing his face in with his hands.

He stopped suddenly, his arm shaking. He straightened up and spat blood at the man he had just beat to a pulp. He walked forward slightly, black hair blocking his face. Then the camera panned slightly, all she could see was a blood red eye looking right at her. The police arrived and the video cut off.

She choked on her food, recognizing that eye. It was the same as that night, but a deeper shade of crimson this time. The man in the video. It was him.

_Gray._

Amy put a hand over her mouth, losing her appetite. She ran to her room, trying to get over what she saw. She saw Gray kill people, she saw him get beat down and stabbed, saw him beat that man to a pulp. His eye seemed to be getting worse. The image of him gasping in pain when he was being stabbed was stuck in her mind. Amy began crying.

It stopped after twenty minutes, now only sniffles and silent tears. She looked out of the window, wondering where he was.

* * *

Steven Stone sat on his couch, face pale, the color of his skin draining from him as he saw that chilling footage.

_An assassination attempt on May? Ash's friend? But why? Why have a team of men just to kill a coordinator? Why not use pokemon?_

Unless…it wasn't her but something she had. Something the would be killers wanted. An object that was on her person, valuable enough to warrant such lethal intentions just to acquire it. Not using pokemon also implied they wanted a low profile assassination, one nobody would miss. It seems that the head security guard shattered their plans for that, so they improvised.

Too chilled to go to sleep, he instantly holo'ed Birch.

Birch's image appeared, wiping some drool from his mouth. _Probably fell asleep doing research again_. "Birch, did you see the news?"

The professor looked puzzled, "Why did you call me so late, Steven? I was dreaming of wonderful rows of beautiful wo-"

Steven waved his hand. "You don't have to finish, I don't think I want to know." Forgetting what Birch just mentioned, his face fell. "Birch, did you see the news?"

"No, I was asleep. Why? Something interesting happen?"

"More horrifying than interesting. Go on the Hoenn channel 7 news website. Watch the video." Steven stared at Birch's hologram as he saw the professor turn on the monitor, expression grave.

A few minutes of silence passed, Birch placed a hand over his mouth in disbelief. "Oh my god." Birch shot up from his chair, furiously punching numbers into a phone on the wall. Steven saw him speaking to someone, yelling then slumping his chair, face filled with relief. He turned back to his holo caster.

"I just called May's mother, she said May is unharmed but shaken. Norman is stable. Thank Arceus." He swallowed hard. "The whole city is on edge. This hasn't happened in a long time. Not since Team Aqua and Team Magma were disbanded. Who could have done this?"

"I don't know either Birch. But it seems there are unseen forces moving about again. I suspect they went after May because of something she had. I just don't know what, or what they planned to do with it afterwards. They wanted to kill her for it." He placed a hand on his chin, thinking of the two teams. "Usually, Magma and Aqua grunts would resort to theft or intimidation, but these guys are different."

Steven continued his speculation,"Recently I've heard in Kalos that…no. Not in Hoenn. Professor Sycamore said that the stones harnessed energy from Yvetal and Xerneas themselves, but no such stones exist like that in Hoenn." Steven speculated.

"Could be, but it could very well be something else."

"Yeah."

Both men stared at the figure relentlessly beating the other man.

_The world is changing, and I'm afraid we won't be ready for what's to come._


	10. Arachnophobia

A light bulb swayed overhead.

_Swish. Swish. Swish._

It stopped swaying.

A man was strapped to a chair, bloody and beaten. He sat facing a large tv screen, unable to move. He weakly opened his eyes as the light from the tv blinded him. The whole room was blurry and had white walls. A puddle of his own blood was at his feet.

A hooded figure appeared on the screen, face blocked by a shadow. "Do you have it?" It asked in a raspy tone.

The bloody man lifted his head, "No."

"Of course you don't. That's why you're here isn't it."

He nodded his head in response.

"Now where is it?"

"I-I-I …..don't k-k-know."

"Exactly. You failed to retrieve it, and now it's whereabouts are unknown." His voice grew much more ominous. "You know what this means correct?"

The bound man started to panic. "No! Please! I can still be of use!"

"No. I'm afraid you won't. You said you'd only need three men. You took five extra and now they are all captured. Three are dead. If the police makes one them talk, that will prove to be a very large inconvenience. And it was because of you that it happened. One boy ruined your little plan by himself. Think about that." He snapped his fingers; the tv screen turned off and a man with a ski mask walked inside the white room, holding a vial full of red liquid. Concentrated sulfuric acid, extremely corrosive.

"No. Anything but that. Pleeeeeassse!" He begged for his life, seeing the vile fluid in the flask. "NOOOOOOOOO!"

The masked executioner poured the liquid over his body.

Screams filled the air, with no one around to hear them.

* * *

Riven shot awake, yelping as he felt something push down into his stomach. He groaned groggily, he had slept like a damn baby. He blocked out the sun with his hand, which was shining right in his face. _Early sunrise. Need to go exchange this thing._ He glanced over to the right, identifying the culprit behind his rude awakening.

White Queen was staring back at him, pointing down at her food bowl. She was demanding to be fed. Riven frowned and sat up. She tapped her food bowl. "Ab! Sol! SOL!"

"Ugh, fine. White Queen, you are really pushy. Do you know that?" She bit his finger. "ALRIGHT. I got it!" Riven turned to his pack and saw a fluffy ball of orange feathers rummaging through the bag. He sighed, pulling Aine out of the pack. "Aine, did you eat my-" He saw a brown stain on her beak, she chirped cheerfully. "You did eat my snack. You are both evil creatures." White Queen smirked while Aine jumped around with an excited "torchic!"

Pulling out the bag of pokefood, he served the pompous one and the orange fluff of energy. He wondered where his kirlia was. _Knowing him, probably playing pranks on an unassuming victim._ Riven stood up to go look for it while his pokemon were eating. He did not have to walk very far because Mischief was sitting on some stone steps a few feet around the corner. The kirlia was in a sitting position, eyes closed in meditation.

Riven grinned devilishly and got an idea. He crept up behind the focused kirlia and pushed him gently. His pokemon stumbled forward, losing his balance and falling flat on his face. The psychic type stood up, fuming. He saw his trainer laughing uncontrollably on his feet, holding his sides from laughing so hard. His eyes glowed blue. "KIRL!" A Poke Cola can was lifted off the ground and sent into Riven's face. The trainer fell, still laughing while holding his head where the can hit him.

"Worth it!" He chuckled, rolling on the grass.

Riven watched his kirlia walk back to go eat and felt that something was off. He could see from his right eye and his ribs were perfectly fine. _The hell? I should be in pain. I felt my ribs crack when that bastard hit me with that metal baton._ Cracked ribs usually went hand in hand with long periods of inactivity because of the fact moving around with injured ribs was extremely painful and slowed soldiers down considerably. They definitely should _not_ be fine. Besides, he had never healed that quick before. He knew what broken ribs were like, he spent months in a cast because of them. The constant movement prevented them from healing too much. And in the middle of _summer, _it was absolutely agonizing.

Remembering the unbearable heat, he shook himself. "I never want to do that again."

After his pokemon were fed and no longer grouchy, mostly White Queen , Riven walked with them to the Petalburg City Bank. All he could hear on the way there were people gossiping about yesterday's incident, one Riven would have liked to forget completely. Taking a life was not easy. He had killed three men yesterday, but they were all murderous pieces of tauros dung so it was not as conflicting. Adjusting a black cloth around his right eye, the trainer ignored the incessant chatter.

Riven made sure to keep his right eye covered with a cloth, he knew it might draw suspicions toward him. He did not want to be recognized as a killer. Nor did he want to scare people with his other eye. If it disturbed Amy, it certainly must be even worse to other people.

As the group walked towards the bank, he saw the nasty stares some of the people were giving White Queen. He knew why. She was an absol, and judging by the fact that an assassination almost happened yesterday, they thought she was the cause of it. It made him angry. He stopped in front of two people who were sitting at an outside diner, giving White Queen dirty looks. "Can you stop staring at her? She does not like that. And I would not get on her bad side, she has a _habit_ of hurting people." He walked away right after saying that, smirking at their shocked expressions.

Ignoring the multitude of stares, he entered the bank. Riven waited in line for a few minutes while his pokemon waited outside for him. He got to the booth and a lady asked him, "Hello sir. I mean trainer! I can see the pokeballs on your belt. Have you come to open a bank account?"

Spot on. "Yes, I would like to open an account."

"Can I see your trainer's license?" He gave her the small card.

"Riven. No last name?" She looked confused, everyone had last names.

"Yes. Riven. Riven Cerul." He used his full real name, figuring that his account would be seen only by him. Besides, it was his own so he should not have to use an alias.

"Ok. Riven Cerul huh. Strange name." She typed furiously on the computer, then turned back to him. "All done! Is that all for today?"

"No. I also want to place this amount of money in my account and withdraw four thousand from it." He waved Van's check in the air, it had a flower logo on it and was ornately decorated.

"A check from the Office of Contests and Events? Man, that terrible incident yesterday must have been scary." She replied sympathetically.

"Yes. It was…jarring." He passed the check through the slit in the booth. She took it and began furiously typing away again. She had no idea he was the one at the center of it all. Those shades really did help. _I might have to buy a pair. Besides, they have good protection against the sun and no one can see my eye._ His attention focused on the banker again.

"Alright, you now have sixteen thousand in your account and I will go fetch your remaining four thousand. Don't go anywhere!"

Riven waited a few minutes, looking around the interior of the bank. People stood lined up, waiting their turns to the booth. The floor was nice and tiled, having just been cleaned. The air was cool, probably from the 'air conditioning' that most buildings seemed to have built in. The desks were made of polished wood and bankers sat in front of the desks, talking to clients about financial advice. Deposits and checks were being exchanged everywhere, easily and efficiently. Since everything was done via computer, people did not have to manually go to the treasury or the mint to go pick up their money. Futuristic monetary exchange was amazing, it beat walking miles to the treasury house at least.

The lady came back holding four bills with Corphishes on them. Riven still found that really pointless, but it made him snicker anyway. He took the bills, putting them in a pocket in his pants. That was another thing that was really convenient. Pockets in his pants were useful, he could place money and small objects in there without worrying about losing them. Walking out of the bank, his absol, kirlia, and torchic followed him.

"I have some money now. I should probably go buy some more food and buy some shades, I liked those." He muttered to himself.

* * *

The pokemart was nothing like Oldale's. This one was enormous. It was called a Mall, where they sold all things pokemon and human as well. There were food courts, clothing stores, and markets in which you could buy an assortment of pokemon related goods. Riven entered a section of the mall called, The Dunsparce Market. He picked up another bag of pokefood formula in there when another store caught his attention.

It's name was the Battle Emporium, trainers flooded the place. It was a 'fast food' store combined with a store that sold TMs. Technical machines that taught moves to pokemon, Charles had told him about them back in the hospital as well. Interested, he entered the store. Trainers were discussing battle moves and techniques while looking at various TMs on the shelves. Riven headed to the offensive TM category.

He picked up a red disk drive that had the label, _TM # 35: Flamethrower_. Figuring that Aine could use a powerful fire attack, he looked at the price tag. His eyes almost flew out of his skull. _FORTY? WHAT? How about no._ Setting the TM back in it's place, he looked at some of the other TMs in the store. Hail, Toxic, Sunny Day, Shock Wave, Rain Dance, Protect, the list went on and on. However, all of them were above his four thousand, most even more expensive than what he had in his account. Flamethrower alone was a solid fourty thousand. How could one stupid little disk box with tubes cost so much?

Riven asked some trainers around him, who looked a little intimidated by his presence. "Excuse me. Do you know why the Technical Machines require an arm and a leg to buy?" The other trainers shrugged or looked equally as puzzled as him. A smaller one with spectacles weaved through the clump of trainers and adjusted them on his nose.

"I know the answer why." Light flashed across his glasses. "You see, a couple years back, TMs were single-use and easily producible, which meant that they had to be bought again and again to use on different pokemon. But now, you only need one disk drive and you can use it on all the pokemon you want. That's why they cost tons now." He had his arms on his hips, obviously very knowledgeable about the subject.

"Alright, thank you." Riven walked away abruptly. _To hell with that._ He thought. Then he turned 180 degrees back around, asking the kid how the TMs worked. The boy was eager to flaunt his expertise and began a thorough explanation on technical machine functionality and usage.

"Alright. Listen up. Technical machines are amazing in the fact that when the tubes are placed on a pokemon's head, the drive emits signals that reach the pokemon's brain. These signals carry information that is relayed directly to the pokemon's synapses, instantly forming memories in a pokemon's mind about how to perform a certain move. It's akin to repeating a move over and over again, without going through the tedious process of repetition. It's instant and quick!" The boy explained, marveled at the power of technology.

Riven was impressed. Actually more than impressed, he was amazed. Instantly perfecting a move that could require months if not weeks of training? Simply jaw-dropping._ Future technology just keeps on surprising me. _He wondered about something. Could pokemon learn a TM move just like a human learns a skill with training and repetition, learning flamethrower like he had learned free running and combat? Curious, he asked the boy. "Can a pokemon learn a TM move without using the actual TM? In a sense, you can teach it to them with training?"

The boy put a hand on his chin, thinking about it. He spoke up, voice a bit uncertain. "I'm guessing so. If a TM places knowledge in there instantly, I guess a human can do that too. But at a much slower pace of course. In theory, that is. Most trainer's don't bother with that though."

Riven recalled the pokemon instructors back in Altea. They would spend hours teaching combat bred pokemon techniques, running various drills and exercises. It would take days or weeks before the creatures were able to fully master the techniques, so they often trained schools of them at a time. It was like combat training, but for pokemon. He figured he could do the same, teaching Aine how to control her fire and make it stronger.

The problem was that he never really had experience with fire pokemon before, so he was a tad bit clueless. That was the Rose clan's specialty. Deciding that he would undergo a fierce training session with his pokemon after he left Rustboro, he left for the food court.

_What to eat? What to…..hmmmmm….that place looks promising_. It was called Blaze Burgers. He had never tasted a burger before. Riven made up his mind and headed over to the counter. A man in his mid- thirties welcomed him, asking the trainer what he was going to order. Riven looked around the menu before deciding on the first combination on the menu. "I will have a number one please."

"A number one? Ok, that will be $100." Riven handed him a bill. "Your meal will be ready in a moment." The trainer held a piece of paper that had the number 497 on it. It was his meal order. He sat down in one of the chairs in the food court.

Moments later, he heard his number being called and went over to receive his food. It was a piece of meat in between two bread slices with lettuce, cheese, and tomatoes in the middle. The meal also came with thinly cut potatos called 'fries' and a cup of Poke Cola. He stared at his food like it was some kind of alien creature, before biting into the 'burger'.

His eyes widened, the flavor exploded in his mouth. _This is amazing! Wow. Even their food is wonderful. It is perfectly seasoned, and the vegetables compliment the food perfectly._ He dipped some of the fries in ketchup, a condiment that was made from tomatoes. _Even this is good._ Riven tried the drink next. _It is sweet and bubbly, I like this. I believe burgers are my new favorite food. How did we not have this before?_

Content with his meal, he stood up and walked out of the mall. _Damn that was good_.Regardless, he was done with Petalburg. His bag was restocked with pokemon food, his account had some money in it, and his stomach was full. It was time to move on.

Riven and his pokemon said a final farewell to the City of Flowers as they rode in a bus to the western side of the city. They got off near the gate, which displayed a sign that said: _**This way to Route 104**__._

Passing through the gate, he smelled something familiar. It was salty and _wet_. "Are we near the ocean?" Sniffing the air once more, the trainer's guess was confirmed. There was water near here.

* * *

Route 104 proved to be rather annoying. Hordes of poochyena harassed them, trying to get at the pokefood in his bag. Riven did not feel like taking out his blades and skewering them all, he definitely refrained from doing that, being so close to Petalburg and all. Another trip to the precinct building for something that was illegal was something to be avoided at all costs. That detective was an angry bastard and Riven was offput by thinking of spending anymore time in that room with him. He finally reached the water some time later.

The body of water a bit further into the route was connected to the ocean as far as Riven could tell. Some rocks were jutting out of the water, blocking any sort of passage to the ocean. It looked convenient and stopped unfortunate swimmers from being carried off by the waves. Some people were resting on the sandy shore. Where other people saw trainers, Riven thought of money bags that spewed money if you beat them with a stick.

He challenged everyone on the route, all of which were fairly easy to beat. Aine had no problems dealing with the bug type trainers on the grassy part of the route and Riven let Mischief and White Queen handle some of the water type fishermen near the shore.

Unfortunately, most of the trainers were not wealthy, at times giving him just two hundred PokeYen. The richest target proved to be a blonde young woman with a green hat, who handed over about one thousand PokeYen. She gave him strange looks and even gave the clueless trainer her number, winking at him.

_What the hell was that? What is this? _He curiously examined the slip of paper which had eight digits on it. He had no clue what in this forsaken world he would use it for. Figuring it was useless, he shredded it to pieces. Strange woman. She also got a little too close for comfort, which was very awkward for the young black haired trainer. Needless to say, he bolted for the woods.

The woods were dark. Most of the trees grew in close proximity to one another, blocking out any light from the sun. The place looked like it was stuck in permanent night. It was perfect for bug pokemon, who disliked the light and hid in obscure corners. Especially spiders. Arceus, Riven avoided the thought of any spiders. He had lost good men to those malevolent creatures.

Darkness was good though. Riven felt comfortable in it. He could see perfectly and his senses were keener during the night or in the dark. White Queen was the same way, which was strange since she was the lightest thing_ in_ the forest. Aine was safely tucked in his weapons case, her head poking outward, on overwatch behind him.

Riven had assembled his team in a formation in case anything happened. After that particularly _nasty_ scyther attack, he found that this formation worked rather splendidly. Aine would be in his case, looking out for any threats that would creep up behind him, White Queen walked ahead to spot any incoming targets, and Mischief would be by his side to stop any surprise close encounters. His blades and bow were on his person again, he would need them if any _things _came after him.

He spent most of the day wandering the woods, finding fallen items on the ground, probably left behind by careless trainers. White Queen eyed him suspiciously. "What? Another man's trash is another man's treasure." _Once you go poor, you can become wealthy again, but you never lose the attitude._ He picked up a fallen pokeball when a net came down on him.

Riven glanced up and saw a strange kid perched in a tree holding the net. "AHA! I caught you! Now let's battle!" The older trainer took out one of his blades and quickly slashed the net to pieces, looking a little bit more than annoyed.

"Fine. But the net was not necessary."

"It was too! Everyone runs away from me!" The kid said, more than a little frightened by the older boy's sharp things.

"Perhaps because you are perched up in a tree with a net and have hair so messy it can scare the pants off a grown adult?" Riven mentioned, looking at the kid's wild appearance.

"YEAH? Well, you look like a damn psycho!" The wild haired boy screeched in response.

"I am aware. Yet here you are challenging me."

"That's because I'm not afraid of anyone. Even your scary ass! I'll be the greatest trainer ever and leave you in my dust of glory!"

Haona ice beamed his entire team in under three minutes. She volunteered for the fight, letting Aine rest after beating up other trainers in the area. That brat's attitude was so over the top and annoying. She felt like teaching him a lesson. So, she went in there and made his pokemon into nice little blocks of ice. The absol enjoyed seeing his face fall at being swept so easily.

"Awwwww. No fair! You're pokemon are too strong! Go pick on trainers your own size!" He complained to Riven, whose face was completely expressionless.

"You challenged me, kid."

"Oh right. But still! What are you doing here!"

"Passing through." Her trainer said as he looked at his fingernails, bored out of his mind.

"Are you seriously that bored?!"

"Pretty much."

"Argh! One day I'll get strong enough to beat you! Just wait and see! My name is Elu and I'm going to kick you and your stupid absol's ass and become champion!" He stormed off, carrying his net over his shoulder.

Riven watched him go while waving good bye with a bored face. "Good riddance. Are all pokemon trainers this cocky?" He turned to his absol. "I can see why you wanted to fight his team. You cannot afford to let someone have a bigger attitude than you right?" He could not help but take a jab at her ego. Her face filled up with anger and she tackled him in the mid section. Her trainer fell down instantly, groaning in pain.

"Why?!"

* * *

_Why, indeed._

The woods were shaped like a damned maze it seemed. They had spent nearly a week in the woods, trying to find the exit. They tried asking for directions, but most of the trainers in the woods could not navigate their way out of a paper bag either. Some of them were as lost as Riven was. The more experienced ones gave him some advice and warned him not to go to the western side of the forests. They failed to say why so Riven thought that the way out was over there, considering they had given him directions _after_ Aine embered their bugs to hell and _after_ he had taken half of their money. They could have been spiting him after all.

Deciding to head over to that side of the forest, he saw a sign that said: _**PROCEED AT YOUR OWN RISK. DANGEROUS POKEMON AHEAD.**_

_Hah. Dangerous pokemon? You mean more wurmples, metapods, and silcoons? Please._ That was all there was in the woods. Every single tree there was had a wurmple crawling down it's trunk, or a silcoon resting in between it's branches. He just ignored them, they would not prove to be of much use anyway, neither as pokemon or as cannon fodder for his torchic.

Riven figured the deeper part of the woods would not be all that different. Although, the entrance to the place was a bit deterring enough. It was even darker than the woods themselves, meaning that the trees must be even more packed together than normal. He stepped inside and instantly felt watched, by hundreds of eyes. It was creepy but he could see well regardless, which meant he was not totally screwed.

Aine whimpered slightly with a quiet little "tor". "Aine, calm down." His group walked further into the woods when he caught a glimpse of something small, round and bright green.

"What is that?" He squinted, trying to make out what it was. He looked at it for a few seconds, before realization sunk in. "That is a spinarak." Normally, that is not something to fret over, if you are in a cave or out on the main roads. However, in a thick and _dark_ forest, a spinarak meant one deadly thing was also in the area. Arceus damned Ariados.

White Queen's horn tingled, causing her to shoot straight up, sensing danger. Riven noticed her shift in behavior and cursed. It was happening again right?

"Shit."

Shit was right. Ariados crept out of the trees, resting their yellow legs on huge webs. _How did I not see those webs before?_ Riven gulped, seeing noxious purple liquid drip from their fangs. _They look ravenous_. _This is far from good. Bug pokemon have type advantages over White Queen and Mischief. If any of their bites connect, they will be in serious trouble. Bug moves combined with that deadly poison of theirs is enough to kill them. I will not let that happen._

Haona and Bib huddled close to their trainer, knowing full well how deadly Ariados can be. There was a reason sane pokemon went _around_ their forests. Aine looked determined to protect everyone, her fire typing gave her a great advantage over the bugs and could burn away their webs.

They stood close to each other, not moving a muscle. The ariados climbed around the trees, blocking the exit with webs before stopping right on them. The spiders obviously wanted to eat, letting their prey escape into the lighter side of the forest would be idiotic.

One of the ariados hissed lowly, "Food. Finally something to eat. Psychic and dark. Tasty…"

Haona growled back, "Fuck you, damn disgusting spider! Come any closer and you're dead!"

Several other spiders started laughing, in the same hissing voice. "Prey speaks! It thinks it will survive. Enough games, die."

The spiders simultaneously used string shot, trapping Riven and his pokemon in place. The webs were incredibly strong and sticky, making any sort of physical movement useless. However, that meant they were highly flammable. "Aine! Use ember on the webs, burn them away!" The chick blasted forth embers from her beak, setting the webs on fire around them. Now free to move, Riven started to strategize.

_I can use Aine's ember on the webs in the trees, causing a distraction, but first I need to get rid of any ariados from the exit. Also, I do not want to set the whole forest on fire, as much as I would like to. So, I will use White Queen's ice beam to freeze the webs near the exit, I can cut through the ice with my blades easily. Mischief will not be of much use. Aine could provide cover for us momentarily while we bolt for the exit._

Having no time to think of anything better, Riven sprang the plan into motion. "White Queen, use an ice beam on the webs near the entrance, freeze them solid! Mischief, teleport into the bag. Aine, use ember on the webs near us on my signal, got it?" His absol shot an icy blue beam at the webs, causing the ariados to shriek out of the way. The beam hit the webs, freezing them solid.

Riven snapped his fingers, giving Aine permission to use ember on the webs covering the trees. The webs caught fire and illuminated the section of the forest in an orange glow. The ariados hissed, seeing their webs exploding into flames, some of them headed deeper into the forest, while others dropped onto the grass, eyes murderous. They crawled over to Riven's position, baring fangs and dripping poison.

_Shit, need to move._ The dark haired trainer ordered his absol to use ice beam behind them. The beam hit the floor a few feet behind them, powerful enough to create a wall of sparkling blue ice to bar the spiders passage. The arachnids went around and scuttled even faster towards the trainer and his pokemon, but were driven back by a wave of embers by his fire type. The ariados yelled in pain as the embers burned their faces and legs. Some started spitting venom at the boy, knowing that if any of it landed on his skin, it would burn like fire.

Luckily, Riven and his team managed to evade the vile poison, now nearing the exit. He was about to leave through the trees that marked the entrance when a web caught his foot and dragged him back. His absol was left near the entrance, watching as a spider pulled him back in. He took out his blades, slashing at the bugs who were trying to come close, but the effort was futile. There were too many bugs, it felt exactly like the scythe attack.

_Two bug swarms overcome me just weeks from one another? Dammit, I am starting to wonder if my old world was safer than this shit._

He saw an ariados bare it's fangs right above his leg, ready to bite down. He closed his eyes, ready for the immense pain that would follow. It never came.

Aine saw her trainer about to become bug food and her inner fire flared in fury. _No one hurts my trainer. No one hurts my friends_. She spoke this time, high pitched voice full of a certain resolve and strength, "AND IT DEFINETLY WON'T BE A FUCKING SPIDER! DIE!"

A powerful blast of flames released from her mouth, incinerating five ariados and scaring the rest away. The five ariados were still burning, writhing on the floor in pain, hissing and cursing her for setting them on fire. Riven ran towards the exit and cut through the ice, scooping up his kirlia while his absol followed him through.

Riven then slashed through a bit of the two trees nearest to the entrance, then Bib's eyes glowed blue, telekinetically bringing them down, blocking the entrance. Finally, Haona shot an ice beam at the floor and at the trees, creating a wall of ice to block any of the ariados from coming through.

The black haired boy and his pokemon sat on the floor, panting and gasping. They nearly died. Again. A- fucking-gain. All Riven could do was laugh at his bad luck, before getting back up and saying, "We need to get the FUCK out of here. I hate bugs."

They walked back to the main area of the woods, where most of the rookie bug catchers congregated at. One of them noticed webbing on his foot and his extremely dirty clothes, along with his disheveled hair and his sullen face. "You went to the western side didn't you."

Riven pointed a finger at him. "Shut up."

The little boy, whom had warned him earlier, simply laughed. "Told ya. Those ariados have killed lots of stupid people _just like you_. OH I'M A BIG BAD TRAINER! Then they die." He continued searching for a wurmple, "Oh and you're still an idiot."

The older boy scowled and sucked his teeth, knowing he royally screwed up. _Another note to self, pay attention to warning signs._ He hated doing this but he hesitantly asked the little boy for directions on how to get out. Before, he had refused help from the boy because the bug trainer was being a little asshole and demanded money.

The little boy broke into a wide grin. "OH HO HO. Now you want my help. This time, it will be one thousand PokeYen. Serves your stupid ass right."

Riven wanted to beat this kid on the head with a stick. Swallowing his dignity , he handed over a bill with a Corphish on it, grumbling to himself while doing it. "Little bastard…. malborn son of a dustox…dirty muk…damn piloswine…con man…"

"What was that, stupid?" The kid asked, deciding whether he should screw the idiot over. But he did have weapons and strong pokemon, so he didn't feel like dying yet.

"Nothing." Argh, that little snotty nosed brat.

"That's right. Well, to get out of here you need to walk north, take a right at some withering trees, then walk north again until you come to the silcoon nests. When you're there, take a left and walk directly north. The exit should be there. I can't believe you couldn't find it. You're such a dumbass." The kid snorted. "OH A WURMPLE!" He threw a pokeball at it.

Riven sliced it in half. The metal ball fell to the floor in two pieces, electricity sparking out of it. The kid's jaw hit the floor.

"And you are an asshole. Thank you for the advice, you little conniving son of a bitch." He ordered his torchic to scare the wurmple away with an ember.

"HEY THAT WAS MY WURMPLE!"

"Serves your stupid ass right." Riven responded, shoving the brat's smug little comment right back into his mouth.

* * *

Sunlight met him as he walked out of the woods, glad to finally be out of that bug infested forest. He never understood what it was with people and arachnophobia, but now he wholly understood. Plain and simple, spiders were yvans. They scuttled and wanted to eat your insides for dinner, what was there not to hate? Besides that, they swarmed. Bug swarms are a big no.

He looked at the sign next to him. It read: _**Congratulations! You made it out of the woods. You probably weren't stupid and headed into the western side right? Otherwise you wouldn't be alive to read this sign! So cheer up and continue your adventure!**_

Great. Even the signs were being assholes too. Riven glanced around the area, there were some trainers about and a peculiar shop a couple hundred feet away. There was even a small lake there. He could bathe and wash his clothes there too. But a proper bath or shower would be better. Showers were wonderful, pressurized water was much more effective at getting rid of grime. Another feature that made the future all that much better.

Stepping into the shop, he saw rows of plants, some large and multicolored, others plain and green. Was this a shop that sold flowers? For gardening? He looked around, seeing all plants and no people. That is until a lady with brown hair in a bun asked him what he was doing.

Riven straightened out, surprised by the woman's sudden appearance. "Erm, I was going to ask if you had a shower I can use. I am filthy and dirty, having just gotten out of the woods after a week or so. I can pay if necessary."

"Oh that's not needed. A week? Wow. You must have no sense of direction." Her comment might have stung. Just a little. "Besides, I can smell bug and a faint trace of smoke from over here. Go wash up, you can clean your clothes in the lake next door."

After showering and extensive scrubbing, Riven felt refreshed. His clothes were nowhere near as clean however. He thanked the woman for her hospitality and went off to the lake to wash his clothes. The water was a clear and inviting blue color, lakes in these parts did not have that disgusting green algae growing in them it seems. That or humans cleaned it often. It was not that important anyway.

He noticed other trainers doing something similar with their clothes. It was a trio of three older girls, wearing very revealing undergarments while they scrubbed their clothes. He was unfazed and took off his shirt, vest, and pants, leaving only his 'boxers' on. He started to scrub his clothes and when they were scrubbed enough, he took them out of the water and extended them out on the grass.

The girls noticed the boy on the other side of the river. They covered up in embarrassment. How long had he been there? That pervert! Then they noticed he wasn't even looking in their direction. They also managed to get a _good_ look at him.

The boy noticed them and wore a blank stare on his face. He turned back towards his clothes. He was totally unfazed. Not a single ounce of embarrassment or interest. The girls were dumbfounded. Most guys would drop dead for the three, except this guy. They saw him dry his clothes by using his torchic to generate heat from it's mouth. He put on his clothes and headed back onto the main route.

After battling quite a few trainers, and getting more money, Riven neared a wooden bridge that spanned the length of the entire lake. He crossed it, enjoying the walk along the water. Traversing the rest of route 104 with several battles spread out in between left him and his pokemon physically and mentally drained. He could not wait to get to Rustboro and slump into a nice bed in the pokemon center.

Of course, he hoped his room would not explode like it did last time. If it did, he would punt a marill. And possibly murder a baby wurmple.

His thoughts turned to his last trainer battle, it was special. It was a double battle. He used two pokemon at once, instead of a single one, differing from traditional battles. It was a good experience, he learned to work with two pokemon at the same time, which opened up possibilities for combinations and complex maneuvers. The young man was so intrigued in the tactical openings that double battles provided that he began to think about what types would complement each other well, but was so wrapped up in his thoughts that he failed to notice that he had arrived at the Rustboro Gate.

Mischief flicked a rock at his head to get his attention. His trainer stared at him, asking him why he did that. The kirlia raised his arm, pointing at the city ahead.

Riven glanced up, gawking at the sheer vastness of the city. It was twice as big as Petalburg, and the buildings were much more massive and much more impressive. His mouth was open and he was left gaping like an idiot.

"I believe I need to sit down."

The boy sat down, trying to figure out how he would find _anything_ in this damn place.


	11. Rough Terrain

Rustboro was huge. No, that was an understatement. The city was _massive._ It also was smaller than some of the other cities in the region, according to Amy. Buildings of similar design stood proudly side by side, gigantic glass and steel giants rising hundreds of feet into the sky. Riven wandered into the city looking around at all the signs and all the buildings. Hundreds of people walked the streets, all heading in different directions and destinations. Riven was caught in the crowd of people, unsure of where to go or what to do.

Lost and clueless, he and his pokemon stood on a street corner, seeing streets in every direction. He had no idea where the pokemon center was, or where Devon was. He figured the best course of action was to ask for directions. There was a café open near the street corner where he stood. There were some people inside. _They might have some information for me._

"Hello. Do you know where the pokemon center is?" Riven asked a couple sitting near the entrance.

The couple was enjoying some kind of brown liquid with a strange odor. The woman was young and had brown hair, with blue eyes. The man across from her had short black hair that was combed backwards, he looked bothered by Riven's presence. The trainer ignored his condescending look and just waited for a response.

"Oh. You're a trainer right?" The woman asked with a slight smile. The young man had three pokeballs on his belt. Must be.

"Yes," Riven confirmed.

"Well, which center are you looking for?"

"There's more than one?" Riven was confused. _More than one pokemon center? That means possibly two weeks of free rent. Might be useful._ He just needed to know where the nearest one was. "Do you know where the nearest one is and how to get there?"

This time the man spoke. "The nearest one is in Rustboro Square. To get there you cross the street to the north-" He stopped. "Do you have money on you?"

"Yes."

"Ok. Cross the street to the north, turn right on Sharp Street and wait for the 102 bus. One of the stops is right in front of the square. It will announce it over the intercom so you can't miss it. Now can you go?" The girl across from him shot him a _look_. He was getting scolded for sure. Served him right for being such an ass.

"Thank you. I am sorry for the inconvenience." Riven turned and left, not bothered in the slightest by the man's snippy attitude. He was used to bigger assholes than him. Higher ranked personnel in the military were colossal assholes, they loved to push people around without actually doing any of the dirty work. He and Nemos would constantly get stuck with guard patrol for it. Afternoon shift too. Needless to say, the heat was unbearable at times.

Heeding the snippy asshole's advice, Riven did as he was instructed, stopping at a bus stop that had a sign with blue 102 numbers on it. He casually leaned on the metal sign, waiting for the bus to come. He had money with him so he could just pay the fare instead of being cheap and climbing on. This bus might not have an open roof to do that.

His pokemon waited beside him. Bib was holding his head, deep in concentration. It was strange for Bib _not_ to be doing something mischievous or unruly, Haona was beginning to wonder what he was up to. She waved a paw in his face, trying to see how deep he was. Judging by the non-reaction, he was dug in pretty good. Aine shifted her head to the side, looking lopsided. Why birds did that, nobody could know.

"Hey, Bib. What're you doing?" No response.

"Bib." Nothing.

"BIB." Again, nothing.

Tired of speaking to him, she smacked him with her paw. He snapped out of it, holding the right side of his green hair. "HEY! I WAS TRYING TO FOCUS YOU KNOW!"

"What for?"

Bib sighed, looking defeated. "Truth is, I've been trying to tap into our trainer's mind."

Haona and Aine were surprised, mostly by the fact that Bib wasn't up to anything perverse. You would think he'd be using his psychic abilities to see under a girl's skirt, or at least undo her top. The torchic was curious why Bib would do something like that so she pryed first. "Why would you want to do... Oh, I get it. You want something from him huh."

Bib frowned. For a naïve little pokemon, Aine the torchic was pretty insightful. She seemed to feign ignorance at times, secretly analyzing situations. It seemed that Riven was rubbing off on her. Actually, he was rubbing off on everyone. They were all nearly as paranoid as him, and thought twice before doing anything. Mostly. Haona was still a bit impulsive though.

"I guess you could say that." Bib just told the truth, it wouldn't make sense keeping anything from Haona or Aine, they'd find out eventually.

"What do you want from him?" Aine asked, curious little black eyes staring up at him. Gah, she was adorable. Like a little sister. Bib's thoughts turned to his sister. His mood plummeted. She was the reason why he was trying so desperately to connect with Riven's mind. He needed to tell him something, the guy was clueless to nearly everything and gawked at every new car or piece of technology he saw. No way would he be able to just stumble across what the kirlia was looking for.

The kirlia gave a weak smile."Something small and green, it's very special. I need it for something." He was talking about the dawn stone of course. He wanted to evolve, and not into a Gardevoir, looking like a girl and having man parts was embarrassing. Besides, he saw the way Riven used his blades. In a sense, he idolized his trainer, thinking that he could tutor him if he ever evolved into a Gallade. But first he would need a dawn stone. The best means of attaining one would be through his trainer.

Haona solved the puzzle and cut through his vague descriptions with a simple statement. "You want a dawn stone."

"Yeah," Bib replied, staring at his elbows. He imagined green extending blades protruding from them. He wanted to be a Gallade so much it hurt.

"If that's the case, then why haven't you been able to establish a tele whatever-it-is with dummy over there?" Haona wondered, slightly perplexed at Bib's inability to establish a psychic link. It was unusual for a psychic to fail in doing so.

"I don't know and it's frustrating me." His small white hands clenched slightly. "It's like my psychic bounces off of him. He's not consciously rejecting me. Neither is his subconscious. His body rejects me, every single part of him rejects me." The kirlia sounded a bit depressed.

"How is this telepathy thing supposed to work?"

"Argh. Mom said it was like finding a specific type of…you know what? Let me put it simpler. It's like you're standing in a field full of falling strings. All of them are colored differently and it's up to you to find a single string of a specific color in the midst of them."

"Sounds pretty hard."

"It's not when you have a bond with someone. It guides you to the string, like an attraction. Usually Kirlias only need a couple days to establish a telepathic link. Gardevoirs and Gallades can do it instantly. Let's not even get started with Alakazams. Those guys are nuts."

"Ok, so what does Riven feel like?"

"He's invisible to me. Clouded, obscured, shaded, you name it. I know we touched on this before Haona but he feels a lot like you. I can't talk to you telepathically either for the same reason. Your strings just aren't there."

"But you know that's impossible. Humans don't have types."

"No. Any of the ones we've seen or heard about don't. But what if some did?" Bib was looking at the floor, deep in thought.

"That would be dangerous." Haona realized that, imagining humans spitting fire and fazing through walls like a ghost. Aine just looked confused, she had no idea what they were talking about. She just busied herself with picking her feathers clean instead.

Bib was about to respond when Riven told them to shut up and get in the bus. The blue bus arrived and the trainer and his pokemon climbed aboard. Bib gave a sidelong glance to Haona and mouthed: _We'll talk about this later._ The absol gave a tight nod and was sucked back into her pokeball.

A red beam hit the kirlia on the forehead, pulling him back into his pokeball. He managed one last glance at his trainer. _Just what are you?_

Riven held his right eye, staring out of the bus window. The vehicle was mostly empty and the sun was setting, creating a perfect atmosphere for self reflection. He thought about what happened to him that day at the contest hall. The power and the overwhelming sense of bloodlust. The rapid healing. _That voice_. It was the same as the dream he kept having. The same dream where Riven saw his parents and Nemos turn into ash.

He could feel it at times, gnawing at him, pushing dark thoughts into his mind. The terrifying part about the voice was that he knew what it was. It was his own hate, the same hate he kept inside for all those years in the military. Ever since he saw his friends and his family die. His hate failed to burn away in that firepit in Petalburg. It weakened but it was still there. Now it was trying to take over.

_Draw your power from me, or I shall consume you._ Those were it's words. Words that still haunted his mind. _What power would I draw from it? Why is this happening to me?_ Questions upon questions and no one to answer them. The only ones who could possibly give an explanation to these questions were his parents. He knew they were secretive but just how much were they hiding from him? He needed to know. But they were dead, they could not help him. Not only that but he was in a completely different time period. _How far in the future am I? Years? Decades? Centuries? Milleniums even…_

Riven rubbed his eyes, eyelids heavy with fatigue. He was so tired. He just wanted to go sleep. His pokemon had fought hard against those ariados too. They needed energy and rest as much as he did. Mind heavy with thoughts and troubling notions, he rested his head against the window, his body rocking with the motion of the bus.

The pokemon center was similar to the others. Trainers everywhere and another Nurse Joy with a warm smile. Riven rented a room after Nurse Joy took care of his pokemon, at which point he was nodding off while standing up. A gentle breath from his torchic could knock him over. Stumbling onto the bed, the exhausted trainer was out like a light.

* * *

Rays of light filtered in from outside Riven's window. They woke him and he stretched on his bed, yawning loudly. He felt much better than yesterday. One thing was bothering him though. He was on his side and felt a prickly feeling on his chin. He rubbed his face with his hand and noticed that facial hair was growing again. It was annoying and constantly got in the way. He liked sleeping face down in beds, something he could not do if any sort of facial hair was growing out. Heading for the bathroom to go slice it off, the young man let all his pokemon out.

He made sure to put food in their bowls first before doing that though. White Queen was cranky when she did not receive her food. Aine was…..well, Aine. Mischief could feed himself for the most part. What was the use of serving him if he used psychic to make the food come to him? Riven closed the door behind him. His eyes still had a sleepy feel to them, he rubbed them once more, looking at his reflection. It surprised him.

Apart from the facial hair, one thing _really_ stood out. He now had a tuft of hair a pure white color over his right eye. It was fairly small but alarming nonetheless. Entire strands of hair in that region were now pale white, like an old man. "WHAT THE FUCK?" He put some fingers in between his hair, looking at his scalp. The strands of hair were white all the way to the root. _Sudden discoloring of hair? What kind of….?_

_Oh._

"Must have something to do with this eye." Ever since all that business from a week ago, his body started to feel different. He grimaced while looking at the spot of hair. Hopefully, it would stay that small.

Exiting the bathroom some time later, his pokemon were waiting in the room. Absol was on the bed, talking to Aine and Mischief about something. It looked serious, Mischief was actually straight faced. That was rare. Riven thought the kirlia was incapable of having anything _other_ than a smirk on it's face.

Clearing his throat, the trainer called out to them. "Listen up." His pokemon stopped their discussion and turned to look at him. "Today is the day you prove your skills against a strong and worthy opponent." All three pokemon shot up. "Today, we are going to challenge the Rustboro Gym." Aine chirped in excitement, White Queen grinned, and Mischief folded his hands with a smirk on his lips. "But first I need to eat something. All of you already ate." _There is also the fact that I have no clue where this gym is. _They all groaned in collective disappointment.

The dining area of the Rustboro gym was bigger than the one in Petalburg. It had more seats and tables to sit at. It was in a bigger city, so it only made sense to accommodate for a larger volume of trainers. Riven received a meal from the counter and sat down at one of the empty tables by the window. He had some fish and rice to eat. Fish was healthy and full of white juicy meat. He presumed it was magikarp, that was the most commonly eaten fish in his time. But here? Could be subject to change.

He was about to take a bite out of it when someone slammed a hand on the table, startling him. _The hell is this. _The annoyed trainer glanced upwards.

_Female. Angry. Brown hair. Late teens. _Examination conclusion: Irritating and Idealistic._ Wonderful!_

He stared at her with one brown eye. "What do you want?"

"Do you know what you're eating?

"Fish and rice."

"Yeah, fish."

"What is your point. I fail to see it." This was going nowhere fast. He rolled his one visible eye.

"You know what fish is made of?"

"Meat."

"Yeah, it's meat. And you know where meat comes from?"

"Pokemon."

"YEAH POKEMON! HOW DARE YOU CALL YOURSELF A POKEMON TRAINER AND STILL EAT POKEMON?"

The black haired trainer snorted loudly. _Oh, this is rich._ He stabbed the fish fillet with his fork, causing the girl to hold her breath. "Look at me."

She did.

He stuck the fillet in his mouth and starting chewing slowly and deliberately, giving her the most indifferent stare he could manage. She was speechless and furious.

The girl started throwing a hissy fit, screaming and cursing him for doing it. The male trainer simply tuned her out and continued his meal. Soon the entire dining area was focused on his table. Riven finished his meal, ignoring the stares, snickers, and yelling. _She must not leave the city very often._ You could theoretically survive on berries and plants but they were not filling. Meat was important and tasted good, what was the problem?

Fed up with her tirade, he stood up suddenly. She went quiet. He got close to her, putting his mouth next to her ear. The whole area went silent, staring at him. Riven smiled. "Have a nice day." The trainer broke away and placed his tray on the counter. "By the way, the magikarp tastes wonderful."

He walked out of the dining area.

The trainer began chuckling to himself. He thought of borrowing a bit of White Queen's attitude for that. The result? Totally worth it. The girl looked like someone had slapped her with a wooden plank. It was gratifying, putting someone in their place like that. No wonder it was his absol's favorite thing to do. Still feeling smug, he went over to Nurse Joy, feeling a bit more confident about facing Roxanne.

"Nurse Joy, do you know where the gym is?" She looked identical to the other Nurse Joys, which was peculiar and very curious. Were they sisters or something? Either way, he cared little. As long as she took care of his pokemon, it was unimportant. She could have been a talking pokemon for all he cared.

"Did you really miss it?" She giggled.

"Huh?"

"It's in the square. Right across from the pokemon center!"

_Wait. That building looks nothing like a gym_. It appeared to be a building with a door encased by boulders and rock. His jaw dropped. One of these days it would fall off completely.

"Talk to Roxanne. She's in the Rustboro Trainer's school next to it. Classes end at three so you can either visit the school or wait until class ends and try and catch up with her. Good luck with your match!" Nurse Joy smiled, partly friendly and partly amused. The young man looked so surprised that it made Joy laugh. She hadn't seen something that funny in weeks.

"School?" It looked like an old building that could house questionable individuals inside. It looked very old and was made of brick. It seemed out of place. Then again, he was the one who ended up somewhere he definitely should not be.

_Well, might as well catch her while she is still teaching. Besides, I want to see how the school looks like._ His schooling had been how to fight. Some people said that the royals of the Cerul family learned how to hold a sword before they learned how to walk. Riven believed that, after what he had been through. His combat training started at four. It continued after he joined the military and now…..well now he was a pokemon trainer. _Training never stops. _That was the core lesson his instructors had taught him. You could be an expert at something but there was always more, always something you could improve. _Your entire life is a training experience._

He stood at the gates of the school and was questioned by a short woman with graying hair. She basically asked him what he wanted. Riven told her he wanted to speak to Roxanne and perhaps learn a bit more about the school. She mouthed a simple "Oh" and let him in, telling him to go get a visitor's pass from the main office.

_Seriously, they really should think twice about letting a random person through with such a vague explanation. I could have been a deranged psychopath and still be let inside. A healthy dose of paranoia never hurt anyone._

The curious trainer walked through the halls, peering into rooms full of kids. They saw his face and turned, eyes fixated on his absol. He turned right back around and bolted before they swarmed the poor thing. _I forgot about children. They are like bugs. They swarm._ And they also cried, recalling an unfortunate bus ride he had taken in Petalburg while he was penniless. The kid just refused to shut his mouth. How could people think they were cute? He would rather hug an ariados.

There were some stairs leading upwards. Most of the rooms on the second floor looked similar to the ones on the ground level but there were different subjects being taught in each one. Riven was puzzled by some of the subjects, which made no sense to him.

He spent one hour in a biology class in the pokemon doctor's class for intermediates. Whatever that was. Some students noticed him standing at the back of the class but then quickly went back to their studies. The instructor was talking about how organisms were composed of billions of small 'cells' and inside of them where centers with 'genetic' information that defined how we looked and even how tall we would be. Truthfully, most of the information went way over his head. It was intriguing, but you can only enjoy something so far if you have no idea what it is they are talking about. He had spent an entire hour in there and left just as clueless as he had entered.

_Alright, that was weird but moving on._

A bell rang overhead and a flurry of teenagers and small children flooded the hallways, nearly trampling the poor trainer and his pokemon. He pushed up against a locker, mortified. _Hey, kids are scary. Lots of kids? Downright terrifying._ White Queen must have felt the same way because she hid behind him. Being majestic and beautiful certainly was detrimental to her health in this situation. Death by cheek pinching? Not a good way to go for a proud creature such as herself.

Six minutes later, the hallways emptied and kids were back in class, replaced by entirely new ones. Same instructors though, which struck Riven as odd. In his time, the instructors switched. Not the kids.

_Eh, it is the future. People are strange,_ he thought as he shrugged his shoulders. Walking in to a class named Battle Basics 1-A, he saw a young woman with brown hair in two buns and…pigtails? Now that he looked at her hair, the trainer noticed that most of the people from the future had insanely strange hair. What was the deal with that? Even May's hair looked like an upside down V. What was wrong with normal hair that went straight down or was just spiky? His hair was perfectly fine, it was medium length that came down, no strange quirks to it. Nice and simple. He turned his gaze towards the right of the woman with bun tails.

There was also a man projected on the screen. He looked like Birch, with the white coat, but was much older. He had grey hair and noticeable wrinkles. It seemed the professor was being the instructor this time. But how was he there?

When the kids caught sight of his absol, they all went "ooooooooooooooo" in perfect unison. _Freaky. No. No. NO. I am out._ Riven nearly dashed out of the room. But before he could do that the woman with bun tails called out to him, asking him to wait. _Damn._ Not wanting to be rude, he slowly turned back to the classroom. White Queen looked visibly horrified. He needed to find the gym leader.

"Is that an absol?"

_Shit. White Queen is on her own this time._ "Yes." He shifted nervously, looking at all the childrens' beady little eyes. Arceus, they were scary. A few seconds later and they swarmed around his absol, touching her fur and stroking her horn. She froze in place, looking at him with eyes that screamed: _help me_. He backed away from the tiny mob, going around and over to the front of the classroom.

Bun tails saw the absol's shocked expression and asked, "Why so stiff?" Trained pokemon loved being touched, guess she was an exception.

It took Riven a few moments to answer, as he was currently being death glared by his absol. Oh, he was getting tackled soon. "Uh…ummm…kids…scary? Agh?"

Bun tails started laughing, putting a hand up, covering her mouth. Her laughter drew the kids' attention, who momentarily stopped assaulting the poor absol. "Kids, sit down in your seats. The trainer's absol is overwhelmed. She doesn't like it. Remember, not all pokemon enjoy being touched. They're just like people. Some of us prefer contact, while others like their own space."

"Yes, that's true! And it's very important when it comes to wild pokemon!" The professor on the wall talked. IT TALKED. Riven jumped back, surprised that the image knew what was going on. Like it was _alive_.

"It talks!" He stammered, looking bewildered. He thoroughly believed it was black magic at this point. The future was downright _bizarre_.

The woman with the strange hair _stared_ at him.

"What?"

"You've never seen a live call over the web?"

"No."

"Have you lived under a geodude your whole life?" She teased while giggling a bit. How could a young teenager not know about the internet? That was all they were obsessed with these days.

"WHY DOES EVERYONE SAY THAT?" The kids let out a collective laugh at Riven's reply. It creeped him out.

"Well, Professor Oak over there is standing in front of a monitor and projecting his image over the web so we can see and hear him. At this moment he is currently doing what you see on the board." She explained, holding one finger in the air.

"Oh. So like a TV but in real time?"

"Yes. Exactly like that."

The trainer nodded his head slowly. Roxanne examined the young man. He was in his late teens, had black medium length hair with a spot of white that nearly covered his eyes, and was apparently a major technophobe. His clothes all bore the same runic marking and he carried a large case over his shoulder. His right eye was also strangely covered up by a black cloth. He looked like a reasonably strong trainer by the looks of it.

Although it _was_ possible that he could be a Coordinator, judging by his absol's magnificent appearance. Her fur was pure white, groomed to perfection. She also had a beautifully curved horn, and soft female features. Her fur bang on the left side of her head was fairly long, curly, and nearly covered her left eye. She was beautiful!

One of the little boys in the classroom blurted out, "He's so cool! And his pokemon is soooo pretty!" They were talking about the black haired trainer, who looked very calm at the current moment, having recovered from his surprised outburst. He did look cool leaning on the wall with his arms crossed. But the kids said that about every other trainer too. They couldn't help it, that was their dream after all. Seeing the older trainers gave them some sort of inspiration to keep on going. Looking back at the older boy, she noticed he was eyeing the children _very_ carefully. She figured the guy was probably here for a gym battle. That's what most of the visitors to the school were here for at least.

"I'm Roxanne. So, what are you here for Mr…?"

"Gray. I am here for a gym battle. But it can wait until you finish the class. I do not wish to bother you and your…students." He politely excused himself, moving to the back of the class with his absol.

_Polite young man. If only trainers were more like him. _Most of them stormed into her class, demanding a battle. It was frustrating enough being interrupted, it was even more frustrating telling them to leave.

Riven waited for the class to end, listening to the woman explain type coverage to the children while this Professor Oak chimed in from time to time. He paid attention too, having nothing else to do. This would have been very useful, had he not spent an entire ten days in Oldale talking to Charles.

The lesson ended and the final bell rang, signaling the children to go home. They rushed out in a hurried frenzy. Riven carefully avoided their stampede and moved out of the way. Roxanne smiled. So did Oak. Then he inquired about his absol.

"That is a beautiful absol you have there, Gray. Do you groom her by any chance?"

"As if. She is too stubborn for that. She grooms herself furiously everyday. That is pretty much all she does when she is not battling." Riven remarked, earning a paw smack from White Queen.

"Ah, stubborn and strong-willed! Like my wife, heheheh!" Oak joked, his wife just as strong willed as the absol. She had been gone for a long time now though. She died just after Gary turned ten, it was heartbreaking for his grandson, but he never showed it.

"Professor!" Roxanne exclaimed. His joke might possibly offend the trainer. Or his absol. Which didn't look pleased in the slightest. In fact, she looked about ready to run for her life.

"Sorry, Roxanne." Oak apologized, rubbing the back of his head with his right hand.

Riven nodded his head, smirking slightly. "I think that would be accurate. She acts like a human female so much it scares me." Another paw smack to the shin. "See?"

Both Roxanne and Oak laughed, seeing the friendly interaction between pokemon and trainer. Oak then simmered down and asked another question, mostly out of curiosity. "Is she young? She seems to be a little on the small side for an absol."

"I guess so. I have only had her and the rest of my pokemon for about three or four weeks. She still looked like a pup when I found her. She has grown a bit but not much."

"Ah, that would explain her size." He pursed his lips. "Well, I must go attend to some pokemon myself, they wouldn't be pleased if they weren't fed correctly. See you again tomorrow Roxanne!" The projector image went black. Roxanne turned it off and then turned back to Riven.

"Anyway! You are here to challenge?"

"That is correct."

"Alright! Let's head on over to the gym but before that, one last thing. Do you mind if we record our match? I like to show the students how battles look like and how creative trainers can get." Roxanne thought about her students frequently, she wanted to see them grow up to be very strong trainers and take on the pokemon league some day.

Riven smiled slightly, "Not at all. Go right ahead."

"Splendid!" She smiled. "You're lucky. You're the first challenger I have this week! I only face trainers once a week due to my schedule." Teaching eight hours everyday for five days was exhausting. If she had to fight challengers every single day too, she'd lose her mind.

"I guess I was fortunate. Most of the time, luck is not on my side. I was expecting a freak accident to happen and accidentally crush the gym or find you unavailable for some inexplicable reason." Riven joked, acknowledging his absolutely horrid misfortune streak. He silently tallied up his misfortunes with his fingers. _Near death by arcanine, launched into the future, near death by scyther, getting robbed, getting caught in an assassination attempt, and finally an ariados attack._ He scoffed. _And all under one month too. I can safely say I lead a life dabbled in bad luck._

"You have a morbid sense of humor , Mr. Gray." Roxanne said, one brow raised in concern.

"Heh. So I have been told."

* * *

The interior of the gym was…..rocky. Well, that was to be expected. Roxanne was a rock type gym leader. The field was just full of rocks with a rock floor. The walls of the gym were brown and students were lined up on the higher stands. No one sat on the ones near the field. _With good reason_. Flying debris could cause serious wounds. Riven remembered a stray hyper beam blasting a tree to pieces, sending a sharp piece of bark through a soldier's carotid artery. He died within the hour. Tragic stuff.

Some of the older students were holding cameras, filming the leader and her challenger. Both battlers positioned themselves at opposite ends of the field. A student referee stood in the middle of the ring, holding a yellow and green flag. "This will be a three on three battle between Roxanne, the Rustboro City Rock Gym Leader, and her Challenger Gray. The rules are as follows. The winner of the match will be decided by knockout. Whoever's pokemon are all knocked out first is the challenger is allowed as many substitutions as possible, the gym leader must battle with his or her chosen pokemon until fainted or rendered unable to battle."

He raised both flags. "Are both trainers ready?"

Roxanne had her arms crossed, inwardly nervous. Her challenger had an absol. It could know _anything_. His other two pokemon worried her as well. She had no idea what they were. He might very well come out with a mudkip or a grass type, which could cause serious complications for her rock types. She tightened her nerves and answered firmly, "Yes."

Her challenger, Gray, looked completely calm. Then again, it was hard to tell what he was feeling. He wore such a serious and blank expression most of the time. What she didn't know was that his mind was full of thoughts.

He stood in a neutral stance, thinking of possibilities and strategies he could use with his pokemon. Strengths, weaknesses, mobility, typing, coverage, and even physical strength. The key was to be calm and composed, a nervous man made mistakes he would never make normally. Being nervous sabotaged the mind and interrupted clear thought. He needed to remain calm.

Removing the cloth from his face, it fell away, revealing his right eye.

The young man's eye slowly opened. A deep blue stared back into Roxanne's very soul. He mostly took it off because he needed to see the entire field. Turning to see with his left eye took too long.

"Ready."

The referee brought both flags down.

"Trainers are ready! Begin!"

Both battlers smirked and pokeballs flew high into the air.

* * *

A man in Slateport was sitting in a lab, humming to a tune on Goldenrod 7.5 FM.

This was his final job of the day, he had only one more blood test tube to analyze. Giddy that he would be able to watch the game later in the afternoon, he danced around the lab a bit.

He figured the last one could wait. Dancing around for fifteen minutes, someone knocked on the door. _Crap._

A muffled voice came in from the other side. "You done in there Izak?"

He stopped dancing. "Yeah! Just need one more test!"

"Ok. I'm going to go now so lock up alright?"

"Yeah, sure! Have a nice day!" The blood analyst replied.

He returned to his station, resuming his work._ Better finish with this one or I'm gonna be late._

He picked up the test tube, which had no name on it. _Weird._ He searched for the origin of the blood tube. Not listed_._ _Damn, did those careless filers not write anything down? For fuck sakes_….. _Whatever, I'll let the registry guys trace this back. Probably some poor fat bastard with a heart condition. _That's all there ever is anyway.

He put the tube under the analyzer and peered into a microscope. He gasped and nearly fell of his chair. The things he saw were unnatural and fascinating.

"Impossible!"

He took the sample and closed it with clammy hands. The man locked the lab and drove off to his home, descending into his lab in the basement , the game could go to hell at this point.

This…..this was something much more important.

He held up the tube.

"What a beauty."

* * *

**A/N**

**About grammatical mistakes. I try to revise as best I can but some will inevitably get past me. If you see any, I am sorry. This stuff happens.**

**Also, to all those who think I'm straining myself to put up more chapters, I'm not. I have massive amounts of free time and nothing to do, so I do this to pass the time(no xbox live and broken skyrim disc tends to do that). At any rate, I watch the world cup to take a nice break from this. Those games are fun to watch.**

**On a different note, this took me two tries to write. I had a blackout which wiped some progress out the first time. The second was due to my cat crashing into the power cable of the computer and shutting it off mid session. Little bastard.**


	12. Fire and Brimstone

Roxanne stood on the left side of the field , deciding which pokemon to choose. _I don't know if his absol is the strongest. It could be the strongest or the weakest. If I send out geodude, he might use absol and sweep him easily. If I use my nosepass, he can just bring out his strongest and match him. This is going to be tough._ Making her decision, she gripped a pokeball and enlarged it.

Riven was on the opposite side, also thinking_. I am unsure what kind of rock pokemon she has. However, I do know they hit hard and prefer physical attacks. White Queen and Mischief are as fragile as glass, they cannot take a hit. She probably will not bring out her strongest, in case I use White Queen first. Therefore, I should choose kirlia. Aine would be useless against rock types. I just hope I do not have to send her out. She would get trampled._ He also took out a pokeball and enlarged it.

Roxanne lifted a brow. _So he's not using his absol huh?_

"Both battlers are ready! Begin!" The referee announced, starting the match.

Roxanne and Riven threw their pokeballs up in the air, releasing their pokemon.

A four armed ball of rock with a face emerged from the sphere, it looked sturdy. _Physical attacks will be highly ineffective. Heh, not that Mischief has much of them anyway._

"GRAV!" It cried, possibly a battle cry of sorts.

Gray's pokeball opened and out of it emerged a small greenish white pokemon with a red horn and a humanoid appearance. Roxanne's brows furrowed_. A kirlia? Psychic type? Hmmm. That means it won't be super effective against graveler or hit twice as hard by him. But…psychic types have poor physical defense. I can use that to my advantage._

The kirlia folded it's hands. "Kir….lia" Its red eyes were focused and ready.

_I can feel Riven's composure. I'm not even nervous! Let's do this._

Roxanne was the first to attack, she had to put pressure on the psychic type, or it would just hit graveler from afar. "Graveler use tackle!"

The rock type jumped in the air, crashing onto the rock floor as kirlia easily dodged the move. He tried over and over, trying to land a solid hit on Riven's kirlia, but was unable to keep up.

Riven examined the graveler_. It is too slow to keep up. He cannot possibly hope to hit a faster opponent with such close range attacks_. He looked back at Roxanne, who was biting her lip slightly. _She is most likely going to switch to a faster attack that has more range._ It was best to attack before that happens.

"Kirlia! Confusion as he passes by!" Riven used his pokemon's species name in battle because it was easier. Mischief and White Queen becomes a mouthful after a few calls.

The graveler missed once again and his kirlia's eyes glowed blue, releasing a pink blast of psychic energy at the rock pokemon. It hit the pokemon head on, causing it to stagger backwards. It recovered quickly however, resuming it's relentless tackling. Mischief hit him with confusion twice more, before Roxanne ordered it to back off.

She saw that her pokemon was far too slow. It was time to switch things up. "Graveler, use rock throw!"

Riven was dreading this moment. It would be far harder for his pokemon to dodge flying rocks. The pokemon shoved it's hands into the ground and started lobbing rocks at Mischief. The kirlia dodged left and right, picking up speed.

The graveler was throwing rock after rock after rock at Bib. It was getting harder for him to dodge with his body. _I need to attack._ A large boulder was heading directly towards him, which would mean certain knock out if it hit. His body glowed pink before disappearing. The boulder sailed harmlessly into the side of the wall, rocking the gym slightly.

Roxanne smiled, expecting to see a fainted kirlia. But she didn't. There was nothing but dust and rock where it was standing. _Where did it go?_ She gasped as it reappeared above her graveler, a glowing palm charging up an attack. "GRAVELER DODGE!" But it was too late. The attack hit graveler directly, launching him to the right and into the wall.

Her pokemon remained motionless before doing something unexpected. It stomped on the ground and used rock tomb. The rock floor opened up beneath the kirlia and trapped it's legs in it. "Good! Now throw a boulder! Finish that kirlia!" It fished out an enormous boulder from the floor and flung it in an overhead throw.

It was swiftly approaching his kirlia. Riven had to do something. But what? His kirlia was unable to teleport, the entire ground was holding him down. _Shit. Shit. Shit._

_Wait._

A memory flashed through his mind. It was during a briefing for a raid on one of the Kiruga clan's psychic encampments. His commanding officer said, _"Be careful. The psychics like to make camp near rocks or large boulders. That way they can compress them and kill you easily." _A clueless soldier asked him,_ "Wait but then they would just be pebbles right? That is not dangerous right?" _The officer stared at the man before answering,_ "Wrong. Those rocks are smaller but weigh exactly the same as they did before. Which means they can cause a hell of a lot more damage in one spot than you realize. Their psychic can make things weightless as long as they have enough mental strength to do it. Which means those rocks just became deadly projectiles. Watch yourselves. Dismissed."_

Riven knew what to do. This was going to sound insane. "Do not move!" His kirlia glanced at him in desperation.

Bib panicked inside. _Is he fucking insane? That thing is going to crush me! _He tried charging up to teleport but couldn't. The floor was attached to him. Unless he wanted to move the entire floor, he wasn't going anywhere. Then his trainer said something equally as insane.

"Use psychic! Catch that rock!"

Bib shook his head. _Hell with it, here goes_. His eyes glowed a bright blue and he lifted both hands, suspending the boulder in place. _Now what do I do with it?_ He looked back at his crazy trainer, asking the question with his eyes.

Riven held out a hand, then clenched it tightly. "Compress."

Bib instantly knew what to do. His trainer might be crazy but he definitely wasn't stupid. Bib used his psychic to crunch the rock with both hands. It contorted into a small tennis ball sized rock. Roxanne looked stunned. The students in the stands gasped, some even muttering faint wows.

Graveler wasn't expecting that either. The red eyed teacher took a quick glance at Gray, who looked completely confident. He smirked, flashing a sharp canine.

_This is it. Use your opponent's own attack against them._

He held extended his right arm forward, yelling, "FIRE!"

His pokemon stared at the surprised graveler. -"You can have this back."- His eyes pulsed blue and the small rock flew like a bullet into the rock type, creating a crater in the wall. Dust from the pulverized wall covered the stage. Roxanne looked dumbfounded.

The dust cloud cleared, revealing a graveler with swirls in it's eyes. The referee held up a green flag, indicating a knockout. "Graveler is unable to battle! Kirlia wins!"

The students in the stands were amazed at the incredible reversal the challenger's pokemon pulled off. Nobody had ever thought of that before. Roxanne shook her head. "That was amazing, Gray. That's never happened before."

"Thank you."

This time she smiled. "But your kirlia's still stuck!" She threw another pokeball into the air.

It opened and out came a large _thing_, with what seemed like a huge nose. Arceus, it was atrocious. The nose was red and it looked like a walking face with legs. It had a deep voice and grumbled, "Nosepass."

"Nosepass, charge up!" Yellow sparks of electrical energy crackled around it's nose, causing it to glow yellow. Roxanne was aiming for a one hit knockout.

_A rock type using electricity? WHAT?_ _Can psychic deflect electricity_? It was possible, but only very advanced psychics could pull it off successfully._ No, Mischief is nowhere near that level. Shit, he is going to get hit. There is nothing he can do._

The nosepass was now entirely covered in electricity. It leaned forward and the yellow energy accumulated on it's nose, into one point. "DISCHARGE NOW!" The rock type grumbled loudly, discharging a massive blast of electricity. The attack bolted outward, striking the kirlia for a direct hit. It twitched and yelled, being shocked continuously.

The electricity subsided, and the kirlia's small body crackled with tiny sparks of electricity. The power of the attack dislodged the pokemon from the floor but was able to knock it out at the same time. It fell on the ground with swirls in it's eyes.

The referee held up the yellow flag this time, announcing the victory. "Kirlia is unable to battle! Nosepass wins!"

Roxanne's students whispered to each other, anxious to see what both battlers would do next. The battle had been awesome so far. Both trainers were now left with only two pokemon. Roxanne's strongest was on the field and the challenger's absol was still on the sidelines. The girls were slightly admiring this Gray. He was pretty good. Judging by his battling, he was really smart too. But he wasn't better than Roxanne of course. She was gonna smash him for sure.

Riven cursed under his breath. Aine would not last two seconds against this thing. He had to use White Queen. She was much faster and knew ice beam, which could keep it slowed and could give her a chance to maneuver around for a direct hit. Turning to the absol, he said, "White Queen, your turn."

She eagerly jumped onto the stage. She had been anxiously waiting her turn, pacing around the sidelines, getting ready. Bringing down the strongest thing on her team would feel amazing. She also wanted to get some revenge for Bib. He had gotten himself stuck again, just like with Amy. Bad luck. At any rate, her ice beam would do well as it was her only known ranged move._ Even though rock is really good against ice, type matchups don't decide the match._

"Absol….." she growled, trying to intimidate the nosepass.

Roxanne was nervous. This absol would either be a pushover or it could potentially destroy her nosepass. Absols had very flexible movesets and many trainers used them for type coverage and powerful physical attacks. They could also learn electrical attacks. Roxanne _knew_ how those could be.

Snapping out of her thoughts she called out to her nosepass. "Use rock tomb, trap her like the kirlia!"

Haona smirked. _Too slow. I'm much faster than Bib!_ She dodged around the rising rock pillars, steadily approaching the nosepass. Roxanne told it to use discharge again. The bolt of electricity hit her, but it was very weak. Haona shrugged it off and jumped high into the air. Flipping in the air, she used her momentum to create wind, growing it into small twisters. She twirled forwards and brought down a furious razor wind. The attack hit nosepass in the nose and caused it to step back, nearly falling over.

"Absol, back off. Do not get caught by any surprise rock tombs." She listened, jumping back towards her side of the ring. The red nosed pokemon recovered from the hit and started charging up electricity again.

_Oh no you don't._ Haona thought. She couldn't stop the attack or deflect it, but she could influence it's direction. She enlarged the whirlwinds around her. Their increased size and rotations caused dust and dirt to collect inside. Roxanne and Riven covered their eyes with their arms, trying to keep dust out.

The rock pokemon was now glowing yellow once again, ready to discharge. Just as Roxanne yelled out the command to fire, Haona flipped in the air and slashed downwards with her horn. A larger and more powerful razor wind blew towards the nosepass, howling like a tornado. It hit it in the foot, causing it to veer to one side. It discharged a yellow arc of powerful electricity, which hit to the front of Haona, producing a large explosion in the center of the ring.

_Got you._

Haona broke into a dance, confusing Roxanne for a moment. Then she realized what she was doing. She was using swords dance to power up her next attack. She turned back towards her nosepass and saw that it was still recovering energy from that huge attack. He couldn't dodge. She hoped that his rock body could absorb most of the damage.

The absol rocketed forward, using the dust from the explosion to mask her movements. _Good thing that my stupid trainer taught me this. It's useful._ She jumped high into the air, spinning downwards to build up more speed and power. She was now directly over the nosepass, who was unable to dodge. Her horn was enveloped in deep black energy as she straightened out, releasing a potent slash of darkness with a sideways head motion. Haona's dark type powered up the move, gaining the Same Type Attack Bonus, as the humans called it. The slash hit nosepass, causing it to tumble over. The slash also sliced through the air, blowing away the dust cloud.

Riven smiled as the dust cleared. White Queen was directly on top of the nosepass, pinned by her. She opened her mouth and a blue ball of light formed in front of her. She was charging up a point-blank ice beam. _Hmph. Delivering the finishing blow with a dramatic execution? Completely White Queen._ He could not help but shake his head and chuckle.

Roxanne bit her lip. Nosepass was going to faint. No doubt about that. The STAB'ed swords dance night slash had hit him hard, despite his high physical defense. She had no choice. At least this way he would take her down with him.

She grimaced before saying a simple word that caused Riven to lose his composure for a moment. "Explosion."

_SHIT!_

Haona released a bright icy beam onto nosepass, freezing it in place and causing massive damage. It was nearly covered in ice before she heard the other human trainer say something. Nosepass heard it and bellowed, "NOSEPASS!" A white glow came from underneath the ice.

She heard Riven yell, "DODGE NOW!"

It was too late.

The ice and floor exploded, launching Haona upwards, kicking an enormous amount of dust into the air. Roxanne was nearly blown back by the blast, only managing to stay afoot by holding onto a rock. Haona landed on the rock floor with a crunch before rolling all the way back to her side of the field.

"Ab…..sol…." She fainted, swirls in her eyes.

The dust cleared once again and Roxanne's nosepass was on the floor, bruised and beaten, having used all of his remaining energy to one hit KO Riven's absol. Roxanne returned it and smiled weakly. "I know you hate it when you use that move but at least you took her down with you."

The referee held both flags up, "Both pokemon are unable to battle. Both trainers will now send out their remaining pokemon."

The Rock gym leader took out another pokeball, her last.

Riven returned his absol to her pokeball as well. "Good job. You handled yourself well." He brought out his last pokeball. It had a fire symbol on the front. His jaw clenched. His chances of winning were very low at this point. Aine had a weakness to rock and her moveset consisted of nothing but normal physical moves and one weak fire attack. This was looking grim.

Both trainers released their final pokemon.

Roxanne's rock type was a small floating rock with two arms. –"Geodude!"- It exclaimed. _Oh. So that is what a geodude is. I need to find out why everyone keeps saying I lived under one of those. It is logically impossible to live under something that small._

Gray's final pokemon sent relief down Roxanne's shoulders. She knew why he was hesitant to bring it out. It was a torchic. A fire type with probably no strong fire attacks. It wouldn't be able to make a dent in geodude. She almost felt like laughing, but she was a professional. She had to contain herself.

Both pokemon eyed each other before her geodude used a focus punch to try and get close to his torchic. _It's fast. I'll give it that._ "Geodude, keep using focus punch!"

Riven had no bright or clever ideas. Aine's peck would no more make a dent than he could fly. Her ember would probably just annoy the rock creature. Sighing, he told her to use ember. She blasted embers at it's face but it simply shrugged them off. Yes. This was going to be defeat.

Roxanne's geodude chased torchic until it was cornered. The rock then hammered it with two strong focus punches. The torchic was nearly done.

Aine was panting hard at this point. Her attacks weren't doing a damn thing. She was getting frustrated. She didn't want to disappoint her trainer. But what could she do? The chick thought about her fight against the ariados, the way her inner fire flared and relaxed with her breathing. She closed her eyes, trying to feel her fire. It was faint and small. She focused, making it move with every breath that filled her lungs.

She imagined it growing into a large powerful fire, consuming entire forests. It flared and she opened her eyes, facing the geodude, who was closing in with a white fist. She opened her beak and a blazing hot jet of flame released from inside her lungs. The flames stopped the rock type in it's tracks. It put up it's hands to shield itself from the flames.

Aine kept blasting it with fire, screaming out her name. Riven wondered how long she could keep it up. The geodude's hands were glowing red hot, the fire was heating up it's body. What happens when rock gets too hot? You get magma. He was going to have to move away sometime.

His torchic then stopped. Her body began to glow a dazzling white light, drawing awes and ooo's from the stands. Roxanne's jaw dropped. She knew what was coming. Bad news.

The light subsided and a yellow orange chicken pokemon stood in Aine's place.

It gave a loud battlecry, "COMBUSKEN!" It shot fire up into the air and danced around. It seems Aine paid attention to that dance routine a week ago.

Riven grinned. "Aine, let him have it."

She nodded in understanding and kicked off the ground, using her strong legs to propel herself forward. Aine landed a powerful kick to the geodude's face, sending it rolling a few feet back. The geodude tried to lift itself off the ground. The fire pokemon jumped up, grounding the geodude with a gout of fire before it came down and smashed a foot into the rock type. The force of the impact slammed the geodude into the ground, creating a small geodude sized crater in the ground. The geodude was unable to reverse the situation on the fire type.

Oh, but Aine was not done yet. She picked up the geodude and launched it upward with her right foot. Then spun around and landed a spinning momentum packed kick to the geodude's face. The rock pokemon sailed to the other end of the gym, smashing into the wall like a soccer ball. It was plastered there, swirls in it's eyes.

Roxanne only gaped, speechless. The gym was dead silent. Even Riven was astounded. One moment the torchic was getting trampled, and the next, she was playing around with geodude like a ball.

The referee recovered from his shock and lifted a green flag. "G-g-g-geodude is unable to battle! Combusken is the winner! Roxanne's pokemon are all knocked out, the winner of this gym battle is Challenger Gray!"

Aine yelled in victory, breathing fire into the air. The students and Roxanne applauded the young trainer and his pokemon. The gym leader walked over to him, holding out a small metal object. "That was an amazing battle, Gray. I haven't had a battle like that in a long time. Not since Ash first came to me five years ago. That was a wonderful usage of wit and power by all three of your pokemon. I hope I can use this video to teach my students that type advantage and power aren't the only things that can decide matches, but a trainer and their pokemon's wit and ability. Congratulations. You have earned the Stone Badge and this TM." She handed him the badge and a box with the label, _TM 39: Rock Tomb_.

He took both of them and shook her hand. "Thank you, Roxanne. I appreciate your praise. You nearly had me though. It was a good battle on both sides. If this is what the first gym is like, I cannot fathom how difficult the eighth will be."

Roxanne laughed, "Much harder, I assure you. Juan is as relentless as he is graceful. Wallace could tell you that also. Anyway, where are you headed now?"

Riven held his chin, unsure. "I guess I am going back to the pokemon center to give my pokemon some rest. Then tomorrow I will head to Devon. By the way, do you know where Devon is?"

"Sure. It's in downtown Rustboro. It's a huge building with orange sides, you can't miss it. It has a beautiful garden in the middle."

"Ah. Thank you for the help. I would best be on my way." He nodded, turning back towards the exit. He waved a hand behind him, saying good bye.

Roxanne and her students waved back, watching him walk away. The gym leader called out to him. "Gray! Come back and rematch me sometime!"

He yelled back. "Will do! I promise!"

His image disappeared as the gym doors closed shut. Roxanne just stood in the middle of the gym. "Wow." She looked at the wreckage from the battle. "Alright kids! Time to clean up!"

Everyone groaned.

* * *

Riven stepped out of the gym into Rustboro square. Light from the sunset covered the square. The beige tiles that made up the floor were now colored a sunset orange. He walked back to the pokemon center, staring at the badge in his hand_. I feel…proud. It feels good._ He never received anything in return for his service in the military. Take out a high value target via highly covert operation? No recognition. Fight off a raid with you and five other guys? No recognition. He hated feeling expendable.

Placing the badge into his badge case, the trainer walked through the center's doors. Nurse Joy spotted him and brightened. "Hello, Gray. How was your match?"

"Hello, Nurse Joy. The match went well, my torchic became a combusken and won the match. Her fighting type really turned the tide of the battle. All of them are tired and need their rest though. Can you heal them please?" He handed her three pokeballs.

"Of course! They should be tired, after fighting Roxanne. She is really tough for trainers who choose fire starters. Most of the pokemon in the area aren't suited to battle rock types very well." Nurse joy stated, placing Gray's pokemon in the tray. She flipped a switch on and a light covered the pokeballs. The trainer sat down on a bench, waiting for his pokemon to be done healing.

A smaller trainer came up to him, noticing his shiny new badge. "Wow. That's a stone badge."

"Yes," Riven confirmed.

"Did you just beat Roxanne?" He asked curiously.

"Yes. Just now. It was an incredible battle."

"Man, she beat me two weeks in a row already. I don't know how to beat her. My friend says to go all out offensive but that never works." He took off his hat, scratching his head.

Riven's left lip rose upward, a slight smile. He pointed to the kid's bicep muscle. "Sometimes, brawn is good." Then he took off his hat and poked him gently in the forehead. "But sometimes, you need to use your head. You would be surprised at what you can achieve when you use it." He put the hat back on the boy's head, giving it a tight tug. "Keep trying." The boy's widened and he grinned from ear to ear. He ran outside, eager to face her again.

Riven snickered. Nurse Joy looked confused. "What's so funny?"

"I forgot to tell him the gym is closed." He started laughing, unable to hold back. It felt good to laugh.

Joy rolled her eyes, laughing slightly_. Boys. They never change._

Riven was back in his room, on his bed and staring at the ceiling. He took out his pokeballs and released White Queen and Mischief. They stared back at him, heads low to the ground in what appeared to be shame.

"No, no. None of that. You both were fantastic in battle. Besides." He pulled out his badge case and flipped it open, displaying the stone badge. Both his pokemon's jaws dropped.

"Kirl?", what?

"Sol?", how?

Riven chuckled, "Wondering how I won? Here, let me show you how." He took out another pokeball and rolled it on the ground behind them. Aine came out, surprising Bib and Haona.

Bib's eyes widened. "You evolved!"

"Yup! I can jump even higher now! And I can kick things!"

Haona and Bib felt happy for her. She became stronger and won Riven the match. If only they weren't so weak, they wouldn't have left all of the burden to her.

Riven noticed his absol and kirlia's mood fall. He tapped them on the back of the head, grabbing their attention. "Listen. Stop blaming yourselves. If both of you had not knocked out her graveler and nosepass, Aine would not have been able to secure the win. This victory belongs to you as much as it does to her. This is a team. Now cheer up. Got it?" Bib felt his positive emotions and his pride, lifting his mood significantly. His words also cheered up Haona, even though she couldn't quite feel emotions like Bib. The kirlia snorted, "Hey Haona, he sounds like you right now."

She couldn't agree more, she _was_ awesome. "I'll let it slide this time."

Aine hugged them both, causing all three pokemon and their trainer to laugh.

_Today was a great day._ Riven thought, looking at their smiling faces.

He poured them food and rolled onto his bed, nearly sinking into the mattress. "See you tomorrow."

Riven fell asleep within seconds.

* * *

The next morning was pleasant. He woke up next to his absol, who was curled up on the bed next to him, Mischief sound asleep in between her fur. Aine was sprawled on the other bed, snoring with a faint "busken" at the end of every breath. Gently lifting himself away from the bed, he went into the bathroom and cleaned up.

Feeling refreshed, he quietly served them food and headed off to go get something to eat. His breakfast was pancakes and eggs. They were served with delicious pecha berry jam and slices of beef. Finishing his breakfast, Riven fetched his pokemon and headed out. Today, he wanted to go visit Devon and pick up his pokeNav and his holo caster. Birch said they were important so whatever. Might as well get them.

After asking Nurse Joy for directions, he found himself riding a green 256 bus to downtown Rustboro. The buildings there were the tallest in the city, comprising most of the business buildings in the city. Riven stared in awe at their massive size, sun reflecting off the glass panels that served as enormous windows.

Walking for nearly thirty minutes after he got off the bus, he finally stood in front of a large building with orange sides. It had large orange letters at the top that said: _**Devon Corporation**_. Riven entered the garden, nearing the entrance to the enormous building. A sign next to the door read : _**Devon Corporation. For all of your living needs, we make it all.**_

Entering the building, a receptionist asked him what he was here for. "Pokenav and holo caster."

"Who sent you?"

"Professor Birch."

"Ah! Go right in."

The trainer walked inside the lobby, seeing men in suits going upwards and outwards. He even saw pokemon trainers walking in and out of the rooms. _Guess everyone comes here to pick up their pokenavs or get repairs._ The building had a wonderful interior.

The receptionist phoned the stand-in CEO, Steven Stone, son of Mr. Stone, the CEO who was on business in the Sinnoh region. "Steven."

"Barbara. I told you if it isn't important to send them to Minal. He deals with the pokenavs.

"Hmph. He says Birch sent him."

Steven dropped what he was doing. "What does he look like?" _Could be the guy Birch was talking about._

"Ummm….normal?"

"Is he wearing anything strange looking?"

"Nope. Except for a black cloth around his right eye. Must have it injured or something. He's wearing casual clothes. Carrying a large case."

"Oh. Not my guy then."

"And he has an absol and a kirlia."

Steven was about to hang up when he thought twice. _Birch said that he had an absol and a ralts. Kirlia is the evolved form of ralts. So that means…it might be him._ "I'll go get him."

"Huh, that's rare. You never come down from there."

"This one is of certain…..importance."

"Boyfriend? He is certainly not bad looking but I didn't think you were into men, Steve."

Steven choked, gripping the phone harder. "HEAVENS NO BARBARA. I'm coming down. Sheesh. Just because I don't have a girlfriend doesn't make me gay."

"Mhmmm. Go get him pyroar." Barbara hung up, laughing to herself. Steven was so fun to tease.

Steven huffed. That woman would never let this go. Walking inside the elevator, he pushed the L button and headed down to the lobby. The former champion wondered how this 'Riven' was like. Birch described him as overly paranoid and odd, even a bit quirky. One thing was certain, he was an odd ball through and through.

The doors of the elevator opened and Steven stepped out into the lobby, drawing stares from many trainers. They stopped in their tracks, in awe at the sight of the former champion. _This is exactly why I don't step out._ He ignored the stares and looked amongst the crowd for a trainer with an absol and a kirlia. He was about to step away when a black haired young man with a white spot of hair and a large case walked past him. An absol and kirlia accompanied him. Steven grabbed his arm.

The young man_ looked_ at Steven. "Can I help you?"

"Birch sent you right? For your equipment?"

"Uh, yes. How did you know that?"

"Receptionist. Come with me. I have your equipment."

Riven eyed the blue haired man with a suspicious eye. Had Birch been in contact with him? "Alright…."

Steven dragged him towards the elevator before any fans could swarm the champion for autographs. He sighed. The trainer was silent. He didn't look any different from other pokemon trainers and certainly didn't have any damaged clothing on him. Steven also didn't see any blades or black stone. Maybe he had them hidden. Regardless, he was going to find out soon.

The elevator doors opened to a grand collection of differently colored stones displayed in cases around Steven's office. Water, Fire, Thunder, Leaf, Dusk, Sun, Moon, and Dawn as well as various other specimens were present. He glanced at the trainer. No change in expression. _It was a good attempt_. Just then, the trainers kirlia ran up to the case with a dawn stone in it and shouted at his trainer.

The black haired boy walked over to the case and stared at the stone. "It is a stone. What is so important about it?"

"KIRL! KIRLIA!" It pointed at the shiny green gem with it's white hands. His trainer still looked confused.

Steven caught on. "It wants the dawn stone."

"Why?"

_Clueless trainer? Check._

"He wants to evolve." Steven said, nonchalantly.

"Oh. That stone is needed for him to do that?"

"Yes. It's male right?"

The trainer nodded.

"I guessed as much."

"I did not know some pokemon needed stones to evolve."

"Well, very few do. Kirlias can evolve into two things. A gardevoir and a gallade. Gardevoirs are the natural evolution of both male and female kirlias. Gallades only evolve from male kirlia when exposed to a dawn stone. I guess he wants to be a gallade." The kirlia nodded furiously.

"What if I cannot afford one of those. I presume it is not cheap." The trainer asked, eyeing the stone like it came from the deepest pits of hell. He had been penniless before, it was not a good existence.

"No they aren't, unfortunately. However, I heard that they are abundant in the Forinan caves near Mt Chimney. If you want to look for dawn stones, there would be your best bet. But make sure you get something that can fly, those caves might be a bit hard to get to by hand. Unless you enjoy rock climbing."

Rock climbing did not deter Riven. He had climbed near vertical slopes as a scout before, this should not be too difficult."Hmm….I guess that is my next stop, after Mauville that is. I am going to visit a friend there. Perhaps." His kirlia brightened. It probably wanted to evolve badly.

"That's good news. Please, sit."

Steven motioned for the trainer to sit down on one of the couches. The young man returned his pokemon to their pokeballs and sat down.

"Wait here. I'll bring your things." Steven said as he went into the other room.

Riven looked around the office. It was spacious and looked expensive. _The rocks in the cases must be worth a hefty sum._ _Mischief did go crazy over one earlier. So, he wants to evolve huh_. Riven wondered what a gallade looked like. He was not going to ask Charles, he wished for it to be a surprise. Then he noticed the blue haired man return, holding a black pokeNav and a flat blue device, the holo caster.

"This here is your pokeNav and your holo caster. Usually trainers start out with them but Birch didn't have any spares in the lab warehouse. Sorry you had to travel here."

"It was no trouble. I had to come here to battle Roxanne anyway."

"Did you beat her?" Steven wondered if the boy had any decent battling skills. He definitely had the skilled trainer look to him.

"Yes." He showed him the badge.

"Nice." _So_ _he does have some innate skill. Looks promising._

The trainer took the holo caster and pokeNav and put them in his bag. Not the big one either. The smaller, more….trainer sized one. The bigger one looked odd. _Now isn't the time, it would make him suspicious._

"Do you know how to use them?" Steven asked, Birch did mention this kid was a technophobe. What would be the point of handing him perfectly functional equipment if he couldn't operate it to save his life?

"The pokeNav just a little. The holo caster is entirely new."

Understandable. The holo caster had only recently come to Hoenn. Even some of the older trainers had a hard time adjusting.

"Ah, well. You just type in eight digits you wish to call and it should connect you with another person's holo caster with the same number. Everyone has a specific number. If someone calls you, you push the talk button to pick up or the end button to end a call or reject a call. It projects the user's image so it beats the videophones in the pokemon centers."

"I see. So that is what those eight numbers were for…."

"Which eight numbers?"

"A girl gave them to me, before she winked at me. I had no idea what they were used for so I ripped the paper to shreds. Then I ran for the woods. She was getting a bit too close for comfort."

Steven couldn't help but laugh. _Clueless with women also_. He heard Wallace's voice creep into his head. _So are you, tehee!_ That irritated him. Wallace had been trying to hook Flannery up with him for the longest time. They did _not_ see each other that way. The guy had to stop.

"Anyway, I wanted to ask you some questions. Birch told me about you."

_Great, leave it to that clumsy man to tell his friends about me. This is not good. _Riven's suspicion meter was nearing the _get-the-hell-out_ levels with this guy. He needed to proceed with caution. "What kind of questions?"

"Just basic information."

"Basic?"

"Yeah. Where were you born, your name, favorite color, favorite hometown. Etc."

This guy was discreet. He wanted to find out information on him using simple responses, inferring things about him based on his answers. Shit, he did this everyday whenever he was assigned intelligence duty. He would just play along. For all he knew, the man had already locked him in. "Ask away." _If worse comes to worse, I will slash his throat and disappear. Should not be too difficult._

Steven asked the most basic of questions. "What's your name?"

Hmph. He knew what this man was trying to do. "Did Birch not tell you that already? I assume you know it. So, tell me yours."

This kid was paranoid. Solidly paranoid, and as sharp as a whip. " Steven. Steven Stone."

"Pleased to make your acquaintance, Steven."

_He doesn't trust me_, Steven observed. He knew Birch had informed of him of his name, yet still called him out on it. He also asked him for his name. The trainer wanted to know who he was dealing with in case things went south.

_Try again_."Ok…Next question. Where were you born." Steven hoped to get an origin from this guy. That way he could pinpoint an approximate area.

The boy gave him a glare. Turning his head sideways, "The wilderness."

Oh come on. Not even a kid would buy that. "You're lying and you know it. You speak English too rigidly to be born in the wild."

"You are correct. I was not born in the wild. But I did live most of my life in it."

"If you weren't born in the wild then where were you born? Fortree, Slateport, Lavaridge, Fallarbor, Pacifidlog?" Steven was just spitting out towns and cities at this point, hoping to get one right.

"None of those."

If not in Hoenn, then some other region perhaps. "Sinnoh, Kalos, Johto, Unova, or Kanto?" One of those had to ring a bell.

"None."

The man was perplexed. This guy couldn't possibly be from anywhere else. Unless there was a far off region nobody knew about. "Then where the hell are you from?"

The kid scoffed, "You would call me insane if I told you."

"No, I wouldn't." Steven was certain that whatever he was going to say was completely reasonable. The kid didn't look crazy. At first glance anyway.

"I came from the past. Who knows how many decades back. I was born in Altea and the world was at war with itself. My entire people were wiped out in one night by the Rose clan and I was chased into a cave ten years later, by the same people. They killed my regiment and my best friend, I passed out in the cave and woke up here, in the future. Now I am a pokemon trainer." He stated this with perfect calm, waving his hands to the side in a final manner.

Steven just stared for a couple seconds. This guy was off his nut. Steven placed two fingers at the bridge of his nose. "I take it back, you're as mad as the hatter, without the charm."

"I told you."

Alright, that failed spectacularly. Time for plan B. "Riven, what's in that case?"

"Are you sure you are not a detective? You sound like one. And I am not particularly fond of them." That stuck up ass in Petalburg was hard to forget.

"Why? Are you a criminal?" Steven was getting a little worried at this point. Paranoid, insane, armed and dangerous? Criminal was starting to sound awfully accurate.

"Legendaries, no. Although, if you put me on trial, I would probably classify as one. You are unable to kill pokemon? What kind of brain dead law is that?"

Steven cut right to the chase, ignoring that remark."What is in the case?"

Riven was silent. He looked ready to attack and bolt for the door. Steven noticed just how jumpy the boy really was.

"None of your business," the black haired boy hissed, now fully alert. His eye was stinging slightly.

"Birch told me to watch you, so technically, you are my business." Steven matched him, looking at his arms for any hints or sudden movements.

"What if I do not want to be…._your business_." He responded, voice threatening and deadly. "I am leaving, Steven Stone." He gathered his things and left for the door.

_Now or never. _Steven launched himself, tackling the boy down. He was fortunate that the trainer returned his pokemon to their balls before their little 'talk'. His case was thrown to the side, landing with a loud thud. The former champion thought that violence would get through to him. He was a kid, he shouldn't be a good fighter.

He was wrong.

The trainer recovered quickly, throwing Steven off. He quickly and effortlessly parried Steven's punches. A quick chop to the throat and a table counter to the face later, the rock collector was on his ass, gasping for breath. He might be an ex champion and excellent pokemon trainer, but he wasn't a very good fighter. _Arceus, this kid is deadly._

The older man stood up slowly, holding a hand up, wheezing. "Gah….wait. I'm …..not…your…..enemy…"

Riven rolled his eyes. He knew that the man wanted him to stay and also that he would never really hurt him either. He took out a blade from the case and unsheathed it, placing the edge near Steven's neck. "You wanted to see what was in the case? Here you go." _Any more attacks and I will slash your throat open._

A black blade with a thin blue edge was at Steven's neck. His breathing slowed and he gently pushed the blade away, careful not to make any sudden moves. Birch was right, the young man did have blades. _Fascinating composition too. I need to see that blade under the scanning tunneling microscope under the lab. I've never seen such a metal before._

"I think we got off on the wrong foot, Riven. I'm sorry." He held out a hand, hoping the trainer would accept the handshake. He felt the blade come down and a firm grip shake his hand.

"Likewise. Sorry about the head, might take a few days for that to reduce in size." He said, pointing at the swollen red lump on Steven's forehead.

"Heh."_Interesting young man. _They both sat down again, now on friendlier terms.

"Let's start again. I'm Steven Stone."

"I am Riven. Riven Cerul."

"Pleasure to meet you, but I still think you're mad."

They shook hands and laughed. They didn't stop glaring at each other though.


	13. Searching for Answers

Riven was still watching Steven. They were not killing each other but it would not hurt to keep an eye on the man. After all, he had only just met him. He wanted to gather more information though, Steven looked knowledgeable in various fields, perhaps he could shed some light on his situation. He was only pretending at friendliness for more information, otherwise, he would have left the man on the floor gasping for air or choking on his own blood.

Steven sat on a couch opposite of Riven. He was examining a sword thoroughly, an amazed look on his face. The engraved markings on the blade's flat surface belonged to no known language he'd ever seen. They glowed a faint blue and ran along the length of the blade. The sword had a small handleguard and a black metal hilt. It looked elegant yet deadly. _Where did he get this?_

He sheathed the blade again and set it down on the table. Riven took it and handed him the other blade. It was identical, with the same markings on it.

"Riven, these are amazing. I've never seen such quality blades. Those weapon collectors in Kanto would dump their fortunes just to own one of these. I've been to auctions for these types of things. The weapons displayed there were beautiful but they don't hold a chandelure to these." Steven remarked, still holding up the blade.

"Steal it and I will kill you." Riven warned, thinking Steven could just take the blade and go sell it off to those bastards. He did not know what Steven's true intentions were.

"Why are you so paranoid?"

"Because the world is full of uncertainties, and not all of them want to be your friend. Contrary to what most idiot trainers believe." If only he knew what Riven had been through these past few weeks, then maybe he would consider that the world was out to get him too.

_This kid has issues._ Steven remarked in his head, startled at the boy's grim response.

"Relax. I won't steal them."

"Right…So...what is so special about blades? I assumed everyone has some sort of bladed weapon around." Riven replied. How could people cut things without sharp metal? They had to have something longer than knives.

"We only have knives and machetes around mostly. No one knows how to make a proper blade anymore, at least in Hoenn. There are still forgers in Kanto but they rely on old methods passed down for generations to produce them. The blades go for thousands."

"Oh."

"At any rate, what are these markings?" Steven pointed to the strange scripture engraved in the blades.

"Will you believe me if I told you now?" Riven said, left brow raised. He was still a bit wary of Steven. However, since Steven was a friend of Birch, he figured he was relatively harmless. He already knew his real name, which is more than what most people knew anyway. Even Amy called him Gray.

"Possibly."

Riven eyed him, taking the blade into his hands. "The markings say, _Never Fading."_

"What is never fading?"

"I do not know. Ever since I got them, I have been trying to figure out what it means. It is not a simple explanation though, my people were never ones for simplicity."

"You said something about an Altea?" It could very well be a figment of the kid's imagination. Some people with serious mental disorders could think of fantastic dream worlds in their heads that made perfect sense to others. He might be one of them.

"Yes. It was my city. I grew up there for seven years."

"Can you point it out on the map?" Steven asked, trying for an area in which he could start an excavation for ancient artifacts.

Riven shook his head. He looked depressed. "I cannot. The map looks much different now." The trainer felt…homesick. Something he had not felt in a very long time. He actually missed his home.

Steven's eyes narrowed. _If what this guy says is true, then he must have come from a time when the continent looked different. Vastly different.I still can't believe his story though. It doesn't make sense. Time travel is impossible. Physics deems it impossible, at least through human means. He could just be a liar._"Riven, you said you came from the past right?"

"Yes." He confirmed.

"Then how were you able to do it? We can't even do it and we already mastered dark matter in pokeballs. It's a goal of physicists everywhere, how could it be possible someone from the past was able to do it?"

"I cannot answer that either. I do not know what physicists are but what I do know is that I ended up in a cave. I heard a roar and suddenly I lost consciousness. It was a large booming roar that shook the earth and sky. Next thing I know, I am here in this world of yours." Riven answered, wondering how he traveled through time as well. It was the biggest mystery so far, he needed answers.

"So it wasn't technology from your erm….people?"

"No. I suspect it was the work of a legendary." Things tended to get _strange_ when legendaries were involved. They were essentially gods.

"A legendary that could control time?" Steven was doubtful about that. He had never heard of any such legendary. He only knew of Groudon, Kyogre, and Rayquaza. None of which had anything remotely to do with time.

"Maybe. If one exists. Or it could just be an unexplainable occurrence." Riven pondered, unable to come to another solution. It was either legendary work or something…else. What it was, he had no idea. He was a simple soldier, not a damn magician.

"Hmmm. Could be. I suggest you look for any information about legendaries. Folk tales are exaggerations but more often than not, they reveal some truth to the legendaries that are in them. Try the Rustboro library." Steven suggested.

Steven still thought the kid was a wack job.

"Riven."

The boy stopped looking at the floor and turned his gaze towards Steven.

"If you _are_ indeed from the past. How can you speak English so well?" Steven questioned. _You would think someone from the past would speak some unintelligible language or a strange form of English. But he speaks in perfect, if a little rigid, English. Makes no sense whatsoever._

"I have been wondering that myself. Back in my time, this 'english' was the common tongue. We used it to communicate with everyone. Others had different languages, so the common tongue was used to make it easier to relay…messages." He was holding back pieces of information, he did not fully trust this 'Steven'. He held back the fact that the common tongue was used for interrogations and torturing, as well as soldier speak. He knew very little of his own language, in fact, he was not fluent in it at all.

"Right." Steven put a finger on one of the engravings on the blade. "So it's safe to assume that the markings on your blades are in your native language?"

The trainer nodded. Steven was skeptical about that.

"Huh. Well, do you mind accompanying me to the basement? That's where most of the heavy tech is. I need to look at this metal_ far_ more closely." The blade looked authentic, but some of the best fakes did also.

"I would like to see this technology. The future has already fascinated me so far. Cars and elevators are wonderful contraptions." Riven recalled all of the amazing things the future had so far. He was eager to see more. He just hoped his mind would not burst.

It did not.

Most of the tech he had been dealing with up to this point had been easy to understand. The stuff down here was just downright wacky. The basement was packed with busy sounds of machinery and people. 'Scientists' with white lab coats walked around, testing machines and performing experiments. Some of the machines either failed to function properly or were being built, purely experimentally.

He spent nearly the entire day inside of that basement, listening to chatter and complex 'scientific' speech. He understood none of it. Riven just went around and played with the machines, pushing random buttons and pulling levers. Like a small child. Steven and the rest of the white coats were fawning over the small gem he gave to Steven for research purposes. He wanted to find out more about the mysterious object his mother gave him so he thought that the blue haired man could give him more answers.

After about ten in the night, Steven told him to go get some rest. Riven gladly agreed. He wanted out and his feet were starting to hurt. He agreed to let Steven keep the gem for more analysis but not his blades, he needed those in case anymore scyther got any clever ideas. He also told the stone collector to call him on this holo caster thing if he found anything interesting. Riven promised he would find him if he did not. The man was still suspicious to him.

The city at night was far more interesting. There were lights everywhere, and even more people than in the day. The streets were crawling with people and pokemon. Diners were packed with people dressed in fancy clothes and suits. Even the alleys were full of people, but more of the questionable…..variety. He let his pokemon out of their pokeballs. White Queen emerged looking rather energetic. She was a dark type, so she felt more energy during the night. Aine was energetic as ever, crying loudly. Mischief came out and tugged on Riven's pants.

He looked down into his red eyes. "Mischief, I know. We will visit this 'Forrina' and get you that stone. I promise." Riven also wished for his kirlia to evolve. He did not know how a Gallade would look but by the sound of it, it would be pretty powerful. It sounded very noble and strong.

His kirlia smiled happily and quickly joined the absol and combusken.

Haona was the first to speak. "So, did you finally get the message across to him?"

Bib grinned. "Yep. Well, it wasn't me exactly. It was that Steven guy. He told him what the dawn stone did."

"And?"

"We're going to Forina to go look for some after he gets his third badge in Mauville." Bib said, twirling happily. He was finally going to evolve!

Haona froze in place. _F-f-forina? But that was….mom and dad's homeland. I'm going to see their homeland! Maybe I'll meet other absols!_ She brightened and tackled her trainer.

"Ah! What was that for?" Riven complained as White Queen licked his face. That was weird. She was never this affectionate. "Why are you so friendly today? You are usually a cruel and bitter absol." He teased. This earned him another headbutt.

Aine smiled. _She must be looking forward to going to Forina apparently_. The combusken didn't have any business there but was more than happy to come along with her trainer to get a dawn stone for Bib. She wondered what Haona was so happy about though. –"Haona, what are you so happy about?"-

"Oh, nothing." She replied, standing next to their human, who was wiping saliva off his face with his hands.

Riven finished wiping his face and pointed at the bus stop. "Alright. We should head back to the pokemon center. We need to go to Rustboro library tomorrow." They headed to the stop and sat down on a bench near the curb.

There were some people already waiting at the stop for the bus. A guy kept trying to talk to a girl but slurred all his words and had trouble walking straight. He was drunk off his ass. She hit him with her purse in the mid-section and knocked him out. Riven snickered. The air was chilly and the sky was overcast. Clouds covered the night sky, blocking out the stars. The smell of moisture clung to the air, it was probably going to rain soon.

The night also appealed to him more than the daytime did. It felt more alive and the temperature was almost always cooler at night. No blazing hot sun and no blinding light. Sometimes, the sunlight reflected off the mirrors in front of shops or on cars and blinded him. It was nothing compared to snow though.

Speaking of which, what season was it? From the rainy weather, he assumed it as spring or fall. Which meant it was going to get very hot or very cold in a few months. Taking out his pokeNav, he turned it on and displayed his location. He tinkered with it for a while until he finally found the calendar. They had strange names for the names of the month but that was unimportant. _The screen read : September 20__th__._ The ninth month of the year. Winter would come soon._**  
**_

The black haired trainer put the device bag into his bag as the bus neared the stop. Suddenly, his right eye burned furiously, causing him to stagger on the steps to climb inside. He turned his head to the right, seeing only a passing glimpse of what looked like red hair in the distance.

_What the hell was that?_

The entire way back to the square consisted of him thinking about why his eye burned like that. It was almost like it was pulling him in the direction of that person with the red hair. He felt a sudden burst of rage that he quickly surpressed, it took all of his being to hold it back, it was overwhelmingly strong. Holding his right eye with the palm of his hand, he tried to recall what was making his eye react like that.

_I saw scarlet red hair. But why did that make it go insane? _He had seen plenty of red haired people in Rustboro and Petalburg, none of which triggered such a vicious response. Unless it was someone specific. But he did not know anyone else. Figuring it to be a random outburst by that crazy bastard in his head, he closed his eyes forcefully, his blue eye still throbbing behind the black cloth.

* * *

Birch was about to go to bed when his holo caster rang. He picked it up and saw the call was from Steven. Answering the call, he was glad to see Steven again. Hopefully no bad news again.

The hologram projected outward and the former Hoenn League champion was shown. He was holding an ice pack on his head. "Whoa, Steven. Did someone beat you up?"

The younger man scoffed. "You can say that." He laughed. "It was your …starter."

"Ah! You met Riven then? Was he like I described?"

Steven nodded, pressing the ice pack back against his forehead."Yeah, he came for his equipment today. He was like how you described, but two times worse. You mentioned he was paranoid, you didn't mention he was maniac paranoid. He thinks the world is out to get him."

"Is that why he beat you up?"

Steven waved his free hand. "No, that was my fault. I tackled him to the ground after he refused to answer my questions."

Birch raised a brow, Steven didn't attack people often. Much less dangerous individuals. Steven caught his skeptical look and quickly explained.

"I thought he was going to kill someone so I figured I could stop him." He shook his head. "He fought me off and smashed my head against my coffee table." He pointed to his forehead, "As you can see, it's still healing."

"And he didn't…I don't know…kill you?"

"He was about to. Until I surrendered. He put his blade down and shook my hand. I thought it was odd that my surrender strategy worked though. We 'made' up and he strangely allowed me to ask him questions."

Birch scratched his beard. "Sounds to me like he was deciding whether you were trustworthy or not."

That sounded about right. "Yeah, I figured. That kid is as sharp as his blades are. He knows I don't trust him. He doesn't trust me either." The handshake after the scuffle felt less _lets-be-friends_ and more _temporary-alliance-then-I'll-decide-whether-to-get-rid-of-you_. It was a mutual exchange for information.

"Did you see the gem then?" Birch asked, curious to hear about anything Steven found out about it.

"Yes. He let me keep it for research purposes, on the condition that I inform him of any discoveries."

"And he just gave it to you like that?"

"He threatened to kill me if I didn't return it."

"That's more like it. Did he tell you about his back story?"

Steven let out a scornful hmph."I still can't believe it. Too many flaws. He seems a little off in the head. Everything could just be his imagination."

Birch thought the same thing when he heard it the first time. "At this point it might, but later on? Who knows."

"Time travel. It's impossible. He himself said that no technology in his 'time' could do that. So how the hell did he do it?"

"Legendary pokemon?"

"That's exactly what he said."

"Well, you've traveled quite a bit, Steven. Ever heard of anything that could control time?"

"No. Although an internet search pointed to something in Sinnoh. It was from a conspiracy theorist site so it's probably completely falsified. I don't believe anything those people have to say."

Birch shrugged. "Well, if you find anything interesting about the stone, tell me as well. I'm going to bed. You should too. You can analyze that thing tomorrow."

"Alright Birch. I'll keep you updated. Have a good night."

"Oh I will. I'm going to dream about beautiful nake-"

Steven felt like puking. "Agh! I don't want to know!"

Birch chuckled and ended the call. _Works every time._

* * *

Riven's face was buried in a book the following day. He had spent the entire fucking day reading through books about legendary pokemon. None of them told the same story. Most of them were just speculations and reported sightings of them. Footprints, roars, weird lightning showers and weather. None of the books he had read helped in the slightest. Chucking a book against his stack of read books, he groaned in frustration.

His brain felt fried. His eyes hurt from squinting so much, his head pounded whenever he looked at anything remotely bright. Rustboro library had been a dead end. No clues at all. He was also unable to locate how far into the future he was as well. The only seemingly interesting books he had read was a book written by a Professor Kudzu on pokemon and another by a fiction writer. It was called _A Beginner's Guide to Pokemon_. The content was informative and frankly, quite hilarious. The other had been a book about eevee, a pokemon that could evolve into all different types of pokemon. It was sad but a great read. It nearly brought a tear to his eye. It was called _Eon Fable._ Amazing stuff, truly. He thought he would try his luck once more tomorrow, maybe by some miracle, find anything informative about any mythical time being. Perhaps even a name.

He went to the library every day, trying to find out anything insightful about his predicament. His mountain of read books was climbing higher and higher each day. It was all for naught because he had gone _nowhere_. Nothing new. The librarians were starting to worry for him. Some of them told him to stop reading so much and go outside. He looked pale and needed some sun.

After seven straight days, he was fed up with the place and refused to go there again. He walked into the pokemon center, asked for directions to the next gym, and the next day he was off to Dewford town.

"Stupid. Library. Useless…..crap….tauros…" he mumbled, looking at the waves of the ocean as a ship sailed him to the next town. He was so depressed he failed to gape in awe at the ship's construction. He brushed it off as another future thing and just paid the fare and got on. It was bound for Dewford Town, carrying tourists, muscle heads, and Knuckle Badge hopefuls. The voyage would take about three days. It was called the SS Dewford,a medium sized vessel that traveled faster than the ships in his time.

He spent most of his time on the railing, looking at the ocean. Occasional tentacruel floated on the surface, with a few water jets rising into the air from exhaling wailmer. He had read about them in a book about water pokemon native to Hoenn during the library spree. His pokemon were right next to him, one of them was anyway. His kirlia was as depressed as he was, due to his hypersensitivity to emotions. His absol was off playing with an inflatable ball and Aine was sparring a machoke.

The trainer sighed, letting go of the rail to sit down on a chair on the deck. He watched other trainers and people around him. Some of them were smiling, others were leaning on the rail, looking at the sparkling waves. The salty breeze hit his nose, causing him to sneeze. He opened his eyes, seeing a rather irritated looking Mischief in front of him. His white hands were wiping spit off his face.

"Heh…Mischief I did not mean to-"

"KIRL!" His pokemon sent a chair flying at him. It hit him and he toppled over, everyone on the deck turned and laughed. Picking himself up onto the chair again, he slumped back into place. A man was also slumped in a chair a few feet away. Riven called to him in a depressed tone. "You too huh?"

The sullen looking man nodded slowly. "Yeah man." In fact, he looked worse than Riven did.

"That bad?"

The man sniffled a bit. "My girl left me for another dude." He buried his head in his hands. It was unnerving, seeing such a muscular man cry. Woman were evil creatures, like his absol.

Riven turned away, looking back towards the deck. "That is rough…" The man started sobbing and wailing in sadness. Riven stood up and _slowly_ walked away. _Not staying around for that. I am depressed enough as it is. No need to add onto it. And that looks ridiculous._ Mischief followed him to the railing again. If he saw another book, he was going to cut it in half. Then burn it.

The trainer remained on the railing until the afternoon, eyes blank. His kirlia was sitting down beside the railing. A depressive aura hovered around them. Other people noticed and moved away from them.

Two girls where sitting down on some chairs near the nose of the ship. They looked at the depressive twosome and whispered to each other.

"Why do they look so depressed?"

"I don't know."

"Did his girlfriend dump him?"

"How should I know?"

"Maybe one of his parents died."

"That's mean."

"Hey, I'm just curious."

Riven and Bib heard everything, despite being quite a bit away from them. They turned and looked at the two who instantly pretended to talk about something they saw the other day. Both pokemon and trainer headed back to their cabins. They had enough of this.

Once inside, Riven and Bib saw White Queen and Aine. The yellow and orange chicken was spread out over the bed and the absol was asleep at the foot of the bed. Their activities earlier in the day had tired them out. Bib gave up and flopped in between White Queen's fur. Riven ruffled his hair and passed by a mirror.

_Great. It got bigger._

The white patch of hair was now bigger, more hairs stark white. He had to admit though, it did look cool, as the people here said. Too mentally exhausted to think more of it, he slumped into a comfy chair in the room and fell asleep.

Two days passed by and he arrived in Dewford. It was a small island with a series of small caves along the outside. One of which was called Granite Cave, a popular cave for rock collectors. That is what the travel guide on the ship said anyway. Riven's mood picked up after some meditation and _lengthy_ naps. The port was housing several other ships. They went back to Route 104 and Slateport. He might take one back to the port city after he beat the gym. He read good things about the city in the travel guide.

The town was not big at all. It had a center and a gym, with a few more buildings around it. The town was near to the beach, only a little bit away from the white sandy shore. People were riding waves on what looked like wooden planks. It looked ridiculous but entertaining at the same time. It seemed like a quiet little town with few inhabitants. Remote, gentle, and isolated. _These people must lead calm lives._ He thought, listening to the gentle _woosh_ of the waves. The water was crystal clear and glistened in the light of the sun, a dazzling blue color.

The trainer checked into a room in the pokemon center, along with many others. The pokemon center got most of it's business from trainers who came from route 104 or Slateport to battle Brawly, the gym leader. The rooms were full at this point, Riven made sure he got the one near the end of the pokemon center, he did not want a repeat of Petalburg this time. Placing his belongings in the rental room, he laid down on his bed, arms over his head and stared at the ceiling. No fatigue or drowsiness present within him, he was unable to go to sleep, so he just stayed there listening to the sounds of the ocean outside. It was a calm and pleasant experience. Remaining there for several hours, he decided to head down to the beach.

* * *

The sun was nearing sunset and began to disappear over the ocean. Looking outwards to where it was setting, it seemed like the ocean could lead directly to the sun. This was what was called, the edge. Where sun and ocean meet, revealing new paths and new horizons. There was a tale sailors in his time would talk about. They said that when the sun set in the living world, it rose in the land of the dead and the divine. Both worlds were interconnected, yet separate dimensions. It was said that only ghosts may pass freely between, due to their ability to phase through objects. He thought it was just a tale though, sailors invented the strangest and most ridiculous of stories.

The ocean breeze was cool and people still rode the waves, falling in and getting back up again. He liked this place. It was serene and relaxing. It was as if it could magically wash his troubles away. He realized why many fighters came here to train, it was an ideal location for such activities.

He walked along the beach, coming up to an old man sitting on a chair with a large straw hat. He was fishing. The sight made Riven smile. He would never be able to do that back in his time. Let alone grow old. War tended to shorten lives significantly.

The old man looked at peace, simply casting a line and waiting, feeling the cool ocean breeze pass along the shore. Something tugged at the line and he quickly pulled it out, reeling in a fresh magikarp. There were a pile of dead logs next to him, ready to light a fire."Ho ho! A big one! Oh. I forgot my lighter." He struggled to get up, slowly beginning to pick up his things. Riven let out Aine, walking next to the old man.

"No need. My combusken can light it for you." Riven assured, telling the old man to sit down again.

"Oh, thank you trainer. It would have been a long walk back home if you hadn't come along." The old man smiled, thankful for the trainer's kindness. Most of them wouldn't even give him the time of day, far too concerned with training and gym battles.

"It is no bother." Riven sat down opposite the pile of logs from him. He looked out towards the waves and felt at peace.

"Most young trainers don't pay attention to me. Who cares about an old man when you have gym battles to get done with. You're a different one." The fisherman pointed out, watching the young man look out towards the waves.

"Gym battles are nice but sometimes, relaxation is the best part. I want to live and see the world, the gym and the pokemon league are second to that. I guess I just became a trainer to find my place, here. In this world. I have been looking for answers, but all seem to elude me." Riven admitted, feeling surprisingly trustful of the old man.

"If only more people were like you. The experience of being a trainer is not the battles or the league. They are but memories. The most important part of being a pokemon trainer is the bonds you establish with others, the experiences you have lived through, the good and bad, as well as the fulfilling experience of seeing the vast world. To head out and open new doors, see things you've never seen before and cherish them forever." The old man explained, having been there himself.

Riven's brows shot up. "You were a trainer before?"

"Yes. A long time ago. Pokeballs were expensive. Not nearly as cheap as they are today." He smiled, remembering his first day when he was ten. Naïve and young, ready to see the world. "Your first pokemon were your only pokemon. Most trainers never caught more than six, since they had no way of storing them, unlike today. My first was a houndour. He was only a puppy when I got him, I was eight at the time."

Riven let out all of his pokemon, Aine lit a fire. The logs began to burn and his pokemon sat next to him near the fire.

The old man saw the boy's pokemon; an absol, a kirlia, and combusken. "Ah, a beautiful absol. I can see she's a female, she has soft features and her bang is longer than most. And your kirlia, he will become a strong gallade I trust?" Riven nodded. "And your combusken will become a fierce and equally beautiful blaziken. I can see it already."

The young man's eyes widened. _This man knows pokemon. Most people believe that Mischief is a girl and Aine is a boy. He guessed their genders correctly. He must have years of experience._ "Yes, hopefully they will."

"I have no doubt in my mind that they will." The old man caught another magikarp and skewered them, sticking the ends of the sticks in the ground, setting the fish to cook. "They look attached to you, very loyal. How long have you had them?"

"A little over a month."

"Such little time. You must have done something that impressed them. Especially your absol. They are distrustful of humans, to have one so attached to you in so little time is astounding."

"I saved them from mightyena."

"Ah, I see why. She was a pup correct?"

"I assume so. She was very small. I also saved him too." He pointed at the kirlia. "I found them together, the mightyena pack was about to kill them. I stepped in and saved them. They stuck with me since then, and became my pokemon when I registered for the league."

The old man felt a warm feeling in his chest. "They must really look up to you. Don't disappoint them young man."

"I will try my best." The young man said, then shifted awkwardly. "So, you mentioned you were a pokemon trainer?"

The old man gave him an affirmative closing of the eyes. "I started in Kanto. As I said before, my first pokemon was a houndour. My father gave him to me after he nursed the poor thing back to health. He was a pokemon veterinarian and took care of injured wild pokemon. When I started my journey, me and my houndour were already friends for two years. I received a squirtle as a starter. I was ecstatic, I felt nothing could stop me. I later caught a pidgey sometime later. They were my only three pokemon."

The old man looked up into the night sky and smiled. "Oh the adventures we had. From Pewter to Viridian, to the magnificent Mt Moon, and even Rota. We traveled everywhere. Ten years on the road, meeting new faces and making friends and even rivals along the way. I earned five badges before I decided to just travel. I had seen many things, things I still remember clear as day even now. Wonderful."

The old man then frowned, eyes now sullen and sad. "But as all things come to an end. I had to face one of the hardest decisions of my life." Riven and his pokemon listened carefully, intrigued by the man's story. "My pidgeot was growing restless. I knew what she wanted. She wanted to have pidgeys of her own. I couldn't bring myself to catch another pidgeot. I took her to a place where the pidgey flocks gathered. I let her out of her ball, tears in my eyes." His eyes began to water. "I told her that she should start a family, that the time we spent together would never be forgotten. I told her I would remember her forever." He rubbed his eyes. "Then I let her go. It nearly broke me in two. She looked back at me as she flew away. She was crying too. I cried on my knees in that meadow for hours." A tear rolled down his cheek. "That was a long time ago. She probably has flocks of them by now. Possibly even grandchildren if it counts for pokemon. That was sixty years ago. I can still remember the sky when I would soar on her back, touching the clouds, flying amongst the birds."

He adjusted the magikarp. Riven and his pokemon looked at the floor, staring at their feet.

The old man continued. "I continued after that. For eight more years. My pokemon were strong, a houndoom and blastoise now. No longer babies. I decided to head back to Pewter, my hometown." He paused for a while. "I headed through Mt Moon, near a beautiful lake. It was calm like the waters here. Then I heard a roar. It was a tyranitar. It was angry and rampaging. It caught sight of me, and went after me. I ran but it used earthquake and caused me to fall. My houndoom was powerless against it. So my blastoise fought it. However, it was too strong for him. He used hydro pump and blasted a hole through the tyranitar. It knew it was dead."

The old fisherman's eyes started to water again, his voice growing shaky. "My blastoise screamed at us. Run. I assume. But I didn't want to leave. My houndoom pulled my pants, dragging me while I screamed for him not to stay. But it was too late. The tyranitar pinned him on his belly, and stood over him. It opened it's mouth, charging a yellow beam."

Riven knew what it was_. Hyper Beam_.

"I closed my eyes, and heard an explosion. I stayed motionless there until the dust cleared. All that was left of him was a-a-a…..shell." The old man began to sob. "He was gone. Another gone. Lost. I raised him since he was a small little squirtle, I watched him grow stronger. I watched him evolve. The pride I felt whenever he won and the amazement each time he evolved." Tears came down his wrinkled cheeks, splashing onto his white beard. "Then just like that, he was gone." The old man wiped his tears away with a sleeve.

Bib was feeling overwhelming sadness, grief, and pain. The poor old man lost two of his friends.

"I went back to Pewter. I was diagnosed with clinical depression. It took two years to finally get me out of my slump. I was miserable. I left for Fuschia city on business." A weak smile. "There I met my wife. She was from Hoenn before she moved to Kanto. She was beautiful. We married a year later and she moved in with me in Pewter City. She had a mightyena. It fell in love with my houndoom and they had puppies. I gave them to my children as starters." He readjusted the magikarp. " They all became trainers you see."

Riven was silent, not sure what to say. He felt he had no right to say anything. He let the man continue.

"We were happily married for twenty years. Then she went on a cruise near Cinnabar and a freakish storm caused the ship to be lost at sea. The search and rescue crews never found her. Her mightyena, Mia, went down with her. I was devastated, as was my houndoom. That was a funeral that was unbearable. I stayed at her tombstone for days on end sometimes." He shook his head. "After her death, I moved to Hoenn. Dewford was her birthplace. So I moved here. Me and my houndoom were old. We no longer had the energy we once did, we couldn't battle anymore. His flames weren't strong like they were. Our legs couldn't carry us to far off places like they used to. Age had caught up."

The light of the fire illuminated his face, sad and depressed. Riven felt sympathy for the old man. He knew what it was like, to lose someone. The pain was like a blade, stabbing you in the heart and cleaving your soul in two.

"For ten years me and houndoom stayed here. It was a quiet existence. I missed my wife and I still called my children, who were now dedicated and strong trainers in their own right. We sat on the porch and looked out at the waves everyday, time passed by, slowly but surely." His eyes grew more watery than they had before. His lips started to tremble. "Then one day, he didn't wake up. I poked him and shook him. Wake up! Wake up, I yelled. But he didn't move." The old man became a sobbing mess. Bib was overcome with emotion, tears leaking out of his eyes too. Haona and Aine had no words. Riven was silent as well.

"He left me too…I was…alone again." He breathed deeply, trying to compose himself. "I still have his bowl at home. I refill it with food everyday. I look to the side of the bed and he isn't there. I wish he was." He began crying again, sniffling and sobbing loudly. His tears came down his face, a river of drops. "Fishing was his favorite thing to do. We would sit out on the beach and fish in the afternoons. He would light fires and we would eat magikarp, watching the sunset and the waves." He held his face with his calloused hands. "That's why I still do it, as a tribute to him." His eyes were swollen and red. "Now I eat the magikarp alone, I miss him so much…" The old fisherman took off his hat, tears falling and absorbing into the straw. "I buried him on the cliff, overlooking the water. That way he can see me everyday, if he wants to."

He stayed there for a bit. Crying silently. Haona and Aine were crying too. Seeing the old man tell his story was heartbreaking. He recovered some time later. "The fish… are done." He took them out of the fire and handed one to Riven. The young man took it and cut some fillets for his pokemon. He knew no words could ease this man's pain, not after what he had just heard. He tried his best.

"I am sorry. Truly." The man had lived with tragedy. Worsened with time. Now he was alone. His friends and family were gone, Riven understood. He was the same.

The old man sighed, voice still shaky. "It's fine. I'm just glad that today, I have someone to share the fish with. Thank you trainer, for listening to an old man grieve."

Riven bit into his magikarp. He wrote down his holo caster number on a slip of paper. He gave it to the old man. "If you ever need to talk, I will listen. You have suffered enough, that does not mean you have to live the rest of your life alone. I know of the misfortunes of the world, how they strike at any moment's notice."

The old man held the paper and broke down again. "Thank you trainer. For hearing me out. No one has ever done that before."

Riven nodded, looking down at his feet, holding back tears. He remembered his friends and his family. "My name is Riven Cerul. Call me anytime you feel lonely."

"I'm Samuel. Samuel Bloom." Both men bit into their magikarp. "But enough with my sadness. I want to show you something that only happens in this part of the island. Snuff out the flames please."

The black haired trainer did. At first, they were left in total darkness. But after a few seconds, the water began to glow. Riven and his pokemon were left in awe. The waves were a fluorescent cyan color, washing over the shore back and forth. It looked magical and mystifying.

Riven stuttered, " H-h-how?"

The old man smiled. "Bacteria in the waves produce a protein that makes them glow. Colonies of them grow near the shore, making the waves glow at night. I discovered it with houndoom a couple years back." He paused. "When I look at it, I imagine this is what the ocean must look like on the other side. I just hope I can go there soon. To reunite with my friends and family, and sing and dance once more."

"I hope you will, once your time in this world is done." Riven replied, wishing the man the best.

"Well, we should head back now. I need to sleep and you need to get some rest to battle Brawly tomorrow I assume. He's a very pleasant young man." The fisherman pointed out.

Riven agreed and helped the old man carry his fishing materials back to town. The old man led him to a small cottage near the edge of town. He went inside and placed his rod and bait on the man's wooden table. The young man noticed a bowl near the door, it was full of food. The bowl had an engraved name on it: _Ajax_. He looked away, facing the old man.

"Thank you, Riven…I want you to have something." He walked over to a closet and pulled out a rod and line. "I want you to have this old rod. In case you ever want to do some fishing. That's all I can give you for listening to my sad story."

Riven took the rod, graciously bowing his head slightly in respect. "Thank you, Samuel. Take care of yourself. I will come visit you some time. I promise." He left the cottage, leaving the old man in his home.

Back inside the pokemon center, he fell onto his bed. He looked up at the moon, it was full and white. He undid the cloth around his eye.

A single tear fell from it.

_Samuel. I hope you find what you are looking for. For I, am still searching._

He fell asleep, feeling strangely at peace. His pokemon followed suit, still heartfelt from the fishermen's story.

* * *

**A/N**

**I had pre-written this chapter already along with the previous one, so most of it was done by the time i submitted Fire and Brimstone. **

**Also, i thought the way the player character received the fishing rods in the games were kind of lame. I always pictured the men fishing near the shore in Dewford to be old men, retiring from the world. It doesn't make sense that they just go OH HERE YOU GO SON HAVE A FISHING ROD HUR DUR.**

**Eon Fable and A Beginner's Guide to pokemon are actually real fanfiction works on this site. Check those out if you haven't already. Eon Fable especially, it's amazingly well written.**


	14. Cave Crawling

A gentle whisper of waves came in from the windows of the pokemon center. The sun was rising and casting it's brilliant light upon the gentle waters near Dewford. The town itself was still asleep, too early for humans and pokemon to be up. The air was quiet and the breeze was cool and mild, white clouds visible in the sky, moving slowly along with the wind.

A young man and his pokemon were awake, filling their stomachs with food. Today they were going to challenge Brawly, the Dewford Town gym leader. Still far too early for the gym to open, the trainer and his pokemon sat on the beach once more, directly in front of the pokemon center. The waves were calm, just as they were last night. The horizon was a wondrous sight, sending calming signals to him and his pokemon.

Riven sat there and stared out at the rising sun. _No nightmares tonight_. He had slept perfectly fine, something he had not been able to do in a long time. No cold sweat or shivers, no hair standing up on the back of his neck. Nothing. It felt strange….not dreaming. He was perfectly fine with not having nightmares, they certainly were not the best thing in the world. Far from it, actually. He stood up, stretching his body. He had time to himself and there was hardly anyone else on the beach.

_Might as well. I need to have a clear mind today. _The young man thought as he practiced swords dance in the sand with his pokemon. It was a sort of training, both mental and physical. It relieved stress and allowed a person to focus and heighten their senses. His fighting style stemmed from that dance. The dance itself was a guideline of a sort. Attacks and dodges could be derived from the different steps of the movement itself, which were often erratic and unpredictable. Considering the Brawly was a fighting type gym, his companions would need to know how to counter and dodge moves at close range.

White Queen was a dark type, and as such, she would be the most susceptible to their fighting type moves. She was at a disadvantage and had no super effective moves against the fighters. He did have his kirlia though. _Mischief can cause the most damage, being a psychic type. Fighting moves will do minimal damage to him and he can teleport across the stage while blasting them with psychic. I will not solely rely on him though. _Always have a secondary strategy in case the primary one fails. Things almost never went how someone wanted them. He learned that from the numerous amount of times when plans went bad and landed him and the rest of his men in nasty situations.

Practicing for three hours, he went back to the center and bathed. Exiting the center while shaking his wet hair, he looked across to the gym. There was a damn line that extended out into the beach. All of the trainers were in line to battle Brawly. He had seen nearly all of them on the ship and instantly gave up on the thought of challenging the Knuckle Badge leader. There was no way in hell that he would be able to fight him today. Brawly took on three challenges daily. There was about fifty people lined up to fight him. That meant that it would be about three weeks before he could even have a chance.

Disappointed, he plopped down on a chair in the pokemon center. Nurse Joy looked at him oddly. "Hey, why so down today?" Riven peered up at her.

"Brawly fights three people a day. There is fifty or more people lined up in front of the gym."

Nurse Joy made a face and tried to reassure him. "Well, you can train a little more then. It doesn't hurt to be more prepared!" She cheerfully smiled and went back to her work.

_She does have a point. The travel guide said that there was a cave around here where stone collectors find evolution stones. Perhaps I can find a dawn stone in there._ The young man stood up, mind made up. He turned to his pokemon, who were currently in the process of grooming themselves. "We are going to Granite Cave. I want to see if I will be able to secure myself a dawn stone for Mischief." The kirlia's eyes went wide and he twirled a bit. Aine stopped washing fire over her feathers and White Queen stopped licking her paw.

The cave was on the edge of the island, more or less on the rocky side of the place, surrounded by rock and pebbles instead of sandy shore. Riven was surprised to find a small forest around the cave, carefully obscuring the cave from view. It had taken him quite a bit of time to find, before he caught a glimpse of a dark opening and headed in it's direction. There were no signs next the entrance or anything. No shoe prints or dirt trails. Completely deserted. That was…odd. The entrance was tiny, it was not big enough to even call it a proper cave mouth.

The inside was pitch black and wet, the sound of dripping water reaching his ears. Riven just hoped he would not fall through time again. It would suck if he went _back_. Aine shot forth a burst of fire before lighting his makeshift torch that he had made in preparation for this expedition. The orange glow of the torch revealed the immediate surroundings. Rock everywhere. Well , it was a cave. What the hell was he expecting? A valley of flowers and clouds?

The group walked further in, a little claustrophobic feeling welling up inside all of them. The walls were getting progressively narrower. Continuing further, they felt a slight breeze to the right and squeezed through an extremely tight opening in the walls. All four of them gaped at the sight of what they just discovered. This was not Granite Cave. This was a completely unexplored cave.

Crystals glowed from the inside, a pale blue color emanating from them. Spears of blue hung from the ceiling, looking dangerously ready to fall and impale someone foolish enough to step under them. Even the floor was lined with the shiny mineral, producing a glass like crunch whenever it was stepped on. All four of them were entranced by the magnificence of the cave. They walked along the edges, seeing more tunnels leading further in. The strange part was that these tunnels looked nothing like natural tunnels or even tunnels made by pokemon.

_What the hell is this place?_ Riven questioned, looking at more crystal filled rooms. After an hour of heading further into the cave, Riven and his pokemon exited a single tunnel and slipped, falling downward.

_Shit! _Riven rolled down the slope, feeling sharp crystals cutting his exposed skin, leaving cuts and scrapes along his arms and face. He finally stopped and saw White Queen and Aine skid down on their feet. They were fine. Mischief was right next to him, having teleported as soon as he slipped. Lucky bastard.

The trainer picked himself up, looking like a complete mess. His black pants were stained, his vest was dirty, his hair disheveled, and his arms cut up and bleeding. Ignoring the several cuts on his arms, he looked up. He had fallen in quite a large distance down. The spot where he slipped was hardly visible. At least the crystals provided light. He could see fine in the dark but the light made it easier regardless.

"Now where are we?" His pokemon all shook their heads, seemingly as lost as he was. There was one huge tunnel, with blue light coming from the end. "Should we?" Riven asked, his paranoia was screaming at him to just pick up his shit and go. Right. As if he could magically appear all the way up there again. It was go forward and find an exit or die, or try to climb back up and still die. The first seemed a bit more…appealing.

He approached the light filled entrance and slowly reached out, trying to see if anything would attack him when he got closer. His pokemon were right behind him. The rest of them were using Riven as a shield in case things got nasty. It was difficult to think of their trainer as a shield but when it comes to survival, you need to do what you need to do. Riven was always preaching that anyway, it was time to see if he would take his own advice.

All four of them stepped through the light, appearing inside the biggest crystal room in the cave thus far. It was pretty large, twice the size of a pokemon center itself. The most astounding part however, was a small pool with a single pole coming out of it. On the tip of the pole sat a perfectly spherical blue orb. It had markings and lines running along it, glowing white in contrast to it's shining blue color. He wanted to touch it.

But decided against it. It was placed much too perfectly. Whoever made that, it was obviously man made, nature does not conveniently place a pole in the middle of a room holding a seemingly important object._ I am probably dead anyway, what the hell._ He picked up the sphere, removing it from it's place with a clink. The sphere glowed brightly and Riven passed out.

Haona saw him drop and nudged him with her head. Bib put his head near his trainer's heart, listening for a beat. He heard a steady pumping and gave Haona and Aine a relieved nod. –"He's fine. Just unconscious. Must be that orb he picked up."- The three pokemon stared at the blue and white orb, which was still glowing rather brightly.

-"You think it's showing him something?"- The combusken speculated, seeing her trainer's left eye move from right to left under his eyelid.

Haona continued staring down at the human, still a bit worried. –"Whatever it is, someone put it here. But who? Seriously, there's no pokemon or people down here. It's possible we're the first ones to come in here in a long time."- The cave felt different from the moment they set foot inside. It felt…..ancient and untouched. The sphere in the middle felt even more so.

All three pokemon stared at the orb in Riven's hand. Just what was it's purpose?

Images flashed through Riven's mind. A pair of two walking into the cave, speaking in an unintelligible language. They walked through the cave, before coming to the large room he was currently in. They spoke to each other, faces filled with determination. They were armed and had long flowing robes. Setting the jewel in it's place, the pair walked in front of it, speaking to it in a strange tongue. The orb glowed white and locked itself in place.

The two headed past the pole and exited through a crystal staircase behind a large crystal formation. Stepping outside, they left through a carved door, depicting strange pictures of something that looked like men fighting each other. He saw an image of them placing another one of the orbs in the spherical groove outside the door, locking it in place. They turned back and the image faded.

Riven awoke to two pairs of red eyes and one orange. Aine lifted him up. Dusting himself off, he muttered to himself. "That was a useless vision. You would think that these things would show you some pretty amazing things. But no." It only showed him how to get out. And some strange people. They could be _anyone_. He had never seen or heard of them back in his time, he assumed they came after his …time. It sucked, not knowing whether these things were older or younger than you.

_Compared to everything else, I am a walking artifact._ He thought to himself, amused by the irony of the situation. In fact, it would kind of sting if he was technically older than most of this crap. Pocketing the small blue orb, he searched around for an exit. He went around the room, climbing onto crystals and falling, repeatedly.

Haona, Bib, and Aine just stared. They snickered every time he fell. Bib and Haona were making bets as to how many times he would fall. Aine just ignored them and continued snickering at her trainer's failures. The human fell again.

"How many times do you think he's going to fall on his ass?" Haona asked Bib, who had a hand over his mouth, having just witnessed their trainer fall four feet straight down onto his bottom.

"I don't know but I hope it goes on for some time!" The mischievous little psychic giggled.

Riven turned around, sick of hearing the snickers of his pokemon. "QUIET, YOU EVIL CREATURES. STOP LAUGHING AT MY MISFORTUNES!" The trainer yelled, frustrated with his futile attempts at finding an exit. He had forgotten where the exit was, he was too distracted with what the people in the vision were wearing. Those clothes looked much cooler than his, he wanted some, they glowed. GLOWED.

His pokemon heard his outburst and finally hollered in laughter. Annoyed, Riven climbed onto the tallest crystal and looked over to the other side. There was an exit! Jumping down from the crystal he frowned and waited a moment for his pokemon to calm down. Once their childish laughter subsided, he finally announced, " I found an exit. Right behind there." He pointed one long finger at the large crystal formation, a triumphant look on his face.

Walking up to the formation, he tried pulling away a bit of rock from the cave wall, the space was much too tight to squeeze through at the moment. Although it was a bit useless, considering it was solid damn rock. "Dammit. I do not want to ruin my blades by trying to slash through this thing." He got an idea. "Aine, kick the living hell out of this crystal."

She cried loudly and absolutely _pummeled_ the mineral. It was causing quite the stir. Riven, Haona, and Bib had to cover their ears. When she was done, the crystal was now in pieces. About to say something, the ex soldier held his tongue, hearing a discomforting rumble. He swore that it sounded like a cave collapse.

"The hell was that?"

The rumbling got louder. Was it- No. NO. It _was_ a cave collapse. Dust began to fall from the ceiling. The entire cave shook and suddenly, the crystal protrusions on the ceiling looked a little more delighted to give them a big hug. They fell like spears, nearly impaling Mischief who just managed to teleport away. Riven shouted, "RUN. GO, GO, GO!"

The four ran into the tunnel and upwards at full sprint, coming to something cold and very solid. Catching his breath, Riven ordered Aine to breathe out a puff of flame, orange light illuminating the door he saw in the vision. It looked exactly the same, having no signs of weathering or rusting.

"Whoa. The markings look exactly the same as the ones on the orb. Whoever made this designed it to be quite the sturdy object." He tapped the metal, left eye surveying the strange markings on the door. He was not telling Steven about this. He would probably lose it and come down here straight away. Riven wanted his own concerns resolved _first_. He could care less about that blue haired Devon CEO. What was a CEO anyway?

He fished around inside his bag for the little blue thing, and inserted it inside the slot. The door shined and seemed to fade, leaving only the orb floating behind. Riven was now _sure_ that this was sorcery. Modern technology was fascinating but this seemed supernatural. The door _faded_. Doors just do _not _do that.

Taking the orb back, the door suddenly reappeared, startling all four of them. They turned around, only to feel like they were being watched. Then they heard little squeaks. Then _lots_ of them. Not good.

The cave was much darker this time. Even Riven's eyes had difficulty seeing what was making that noise. Whatever it was, it was less than pleased. Slowly and softly whispering to his combusken, he held up another torch. " Aine, light the torch, then shoot some embers straight ahead." She lit the torch. The light showed nothing. The group failed to notice a small group of winged pokemon behind them, clearly aggravated. The orange yellow chicken blasted forth an ember, which traveled straight forward, revealing scores and scores of purple bat creatures.

_More hordes of pokemon. Great._ All three of his pokemon and him stood in place, sweating nervously. Did they suck blood? Oh Arceus, they did. This is why caves suck. He had ignored a warning that a snotty kid had given him back in Petalburg.

_Hey, you're gonna go cave exploring some time right? Well! If you do that then you better pack some repels. Zubat and Golbat are CRAZY when it comes to people disturbing them. You can't even walk three steps without getting attacked! Oh and they suck blood, so you better get some good quality repels or you're screwed. See ya around old man!_ Little son of a bitch. He called Riven an old man the entire time he was homeless in the park. The worst part was trying to sleep with his damned teasing. The kid was annoying. He had shrugged off his warning, thinking that it was not as bad as the kid made it out to be. Seeing the walls lined with the bat pokemon kind of made him wish he should have just swallowed his ego and bought some repels.

The light from the torch was bothering the zubat and they uncoiled themselves from each other, screeching loudly. Suddenly every single bat in that narrow pass was staring directly at them, with eyes or no eyes. Silence remained for a few seconds before the zubat let out an ear piercing cry all at once.

Riven sighed. Not again.

"AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

* * *

A backpacker was resting outside of Granite Cave when he heard some screaming. A black haired young man with a white splotch on the right side ran out. An absol, a combusken, and a kirlia also shot forth, flailing about wildly. Hordes of zubat were swarming the poor group. The nocturnal creatures were hit by the sun and quickly went back inside the cave. The young man was finally left alone, twitching and waving his arms up in the air, muttering something under his breath. He continued sputtering for sometime, which amused the backpacker.

"Why does this always…son of….I hate bats….no repel….." The younger trainer murmured. Then he turned back toward the cave. "FUCK YOU. AND YOUR SHIT ZUBAT!" An exasperated sigh later and the trainer was on the rocky floor, staring up at the sky.

The backpacker was speechless, he couldn't speak from how hard he was laughing. It was a silent laugh not a rambunctious hollering. Composing himself, he spoke to the younger trainer, who looked like a krookodile had death rolled him. He was cut up, bruised and dirty. He also had bite marks freaking everywhere. His pokemon were no better, looking dusty and bitten as well.

"Heh heh, that was funny to watch."

The boy's head lifted slightly, staring at him. "Wha?"

"It was funny seeing you come out of that cave and scream like a little girl." He started to chuckle as he remembered the moment. " 'Sides, how did you get the biggest horde of zubats I've ever seen to attack you like that?"

"I have no idea. I seem to attract hordes of pokemon everywhere. First scyther, then ariados, and now zubat. What is next?!" The boy complained, lifting his arms into the air before letting them plop back down on the floor.

"A scyther and an ariados swarm attacked you?" The backpacker was stunned. How wasn't this kid dead yet? Those were _deadly_ pokemon, even for experienced trainers. Hordes of zubats couldn't compare to the lethality of a small scyther swarm.

"The scyther attacked on my first day as a pokemon trainer, on route 101. The ariados attacked in Petalburg Woods when I got lost and tried to find an exit." He concluded quickly, playing off the fact that he had been hospitalized for a week following the scyther attack and nearly died.

"You must be made of some pretty strong stuff then, considering you're not dead. That means we're gonna have us a battle!" The backpacker took out a pokeball, and threw it up in the air, revealing a graveler.

"GRAV!"

Riven sighed, telling Aine to take this battle. Fed up with crap, he growled. "BEAT HIM INTO THE GROUND." The backpacker sweatdropped as the trainer immediately fell asleep on the ground, finding the rocky ground as comfortable as a bed after his zubat ordeal.

His combusken utterly smashed the backpacker's team, happily beating his rock types into the ground with double kicks and low sweeps. She was a jittery one and was full of energy. He sighed. Well, this was a largely fighting type dominated area. His rock types were at a huge disadvantage. His attempts with Brawly went over about as well as trying to put out a forest fire with a spoon of water. That hariyama was tough as heck.

Staring at the sleeping trainer, he asked his pokemon, "Can any of you wake him up?" He didn't want to accidentally wake him up and get punched. That happened to him before, when he tried to wake up a buddy he was traveling with to Mt Coronet. Black eyes weren't very good for his face. Or his devilishly good looks. Mostly.

The boy's absol replied with a curt, "Sol." She trotted over to the sleeping trainer and stomped a paw onto his stomach. The boy shot up, gasping for air. His absol turned around and gave the backpacker a blank reply before walking back alongside the kirlia. Their trainer looked pretty pissed. He was giving them a pretty intimidating leer, his absol stuck a tongue out at him.

"YOU! GAH! DO YOU ALWAYS HAVE TO WAKE ME UP VIOLENTLY?" He shouted at his dark type, who was looking at her claws. She certainly had an attitude. Professors often told starting trainers _not_ to catch dark types unless they were ready or experienced enough to handle their behavior. Many dark types found it humorous to hurt their trainers or act obnoxious. Dark type trainers had to be very patient but it was well rewarded, dark types were powerful in their own right. The boy stood up and ruffled his absol's fur, "Stupid woman." She headbutted him in the stomach, sending him lurching over.

The backpacker smiled. He couldn't get interaction like that from his pokemon. They were rocks. They just….stood there. If they ever tried, they would probably break his wrist. The other guy recovered from the headbutt and cleared his throat.

"Wait. What happened to the battle?" He asked, a little lost and drowsy. His combusken jumped into the air, making kicking motions. Then his kirlia pointed at the backpacker and made a fist and an open palm. He closed the palm around the fist with a simple, -"Kirl, kirlia."- It roughly translated to,_ combusken just curb stomped his team._ The black haired trainer mouthed an 'oh' and turned back to the backpacker.

"I fell asleep during the match, that was fairly rude of me." The backpacker shrugged and brushed it off.

"No problem. I'm sure you must be tired after cave exploring anyway. I've been in plenty of caves myself, it gets me worn out pretty quick. Specially if you have a crazy horde of zubats after you." He laughed whole heartedly. "Well, want to have some lunch? You look pretty beat up."

Riven was a bit cautious, naturally, it was not a good idea to trust strangers. Although, this guy seemed friendly enough. He _was_ hungry. No, not hungry, more like starving. "Sounds good."

Both men and their pokemon sat around some rocks, eating some vegetable and berry soup with beef slices in it. The meal was delicious. Actually, any meal was mostly delicious if you had not eaten in a while and got chased by angry pokemon at high speed. The backpacker was named Benjamin Thern. Apparently he was originally from the Sinnoh region. Why would he stay here though?

"Benjamin, why did you stay in Hoenn?" He asked, curious as to why he would leave his homeland behind.

"Oh please, call me Ben. I didn't stay in Hoenn on purpose. I came here to visit a girl I was dating a while ago and purchased a one way ticket on accident. I didn't have enough money to go back so I stayed in Hoenn. That was roughly three months ago, I think. She broke it off two months in, apparently she was into girls but never told me," the backpacker explained.

"What have you been doing this whole time then? Do you not have enough money to go back?"

"Ah, I thought since I was in this predicament, I should go explore more of Hoenn. Unfortunately, I keep getting stuck with ferry mix ups. I was supposed to head to Slateport from route 104 but ended up here in Dewford instead."

"Not going to challenge Brawly?"

"Not again. I'm a casual pokemon trainer. I'm more focused on the travel part than the battle part. I like seeing new places, you know?" He remembered traveling to Snowpoint and Mt Coronet, as well as Sunnyshore and even the iron islands in Sinnoh.

"I see."

"Enough about me though, what about you? What's your name?" Ben asked, wondering what this trainer's story was.

Riven mentally paused. He had to think of something. If he said what he did with Steven, Ben would think he was a lunatic, just like everyone else he told his story to. "My name is Gray. I grew up in uh, Littleroot. I became a trainer about two or so months ago."

Ben was surprised. "You have an absol and a kirlia in less than two months? Either Daddy's rich or you're something else."

"I do not have parents. They died when I was young."

"Oh, sorry. That was uncalled for." Ben looked a bit down now. He didn't want the trainer to relive any memories if there were any. Lots of people lost their parents, they were never the same. Some of them went insane, others just became depressed and shut down. He was there when that chilling event happened in Sinnoh. He'd like to forget that.

Riven held a hand up, dismissing the comment. "It is fine. I am over it. No sense fretting over something that already happened…it just makes a person bitter and hateful. That hate can….consume you." His thoughts turned to his right eye and the incident in Petalburg. He had never felt that way before, all he knew was that it was taking a toll on his body. He was afraid he would become a monster, going on a bloodthirsty rampage and killing innocent people that did not deserve it. He was not against killing, he only disliked it when it was senseless and unnecessary. Otherwise, it was kill or be killed.

"Ah, well, I'm still curious as to how you got an absol and kirlia so quickly. I can assume that combusken is your starter?"

"Correct. I saved both of them from a mightyena attack." Before Ben could ask, Riven pulled out one of his blades and unsheathed it. He looked at the backpacker with a stern face. "I did what I had to. I did not want to see them die, not to a sadistic pack like that. I grew up with mightyena. I know when they display sadistic tendencies. They tasted human blood before." His face fell and he looked down at the floor, staring at his hands. Normal, unbloodied people might not understand.

Ben averted his gaze from the blade, a very rare sight in today's time. He had heard of the Kanto smiths but he never imagined he would see a genuine blade, much less one that had already drawn blood. Looking at the trainer across from him, he looked odd. Like he didn't belong. It was similar to when you tried talking to an old timer about their time. It was the same feeling, but one hundred times worse. He could tell this guy lived through some serious stuff. He didn't ask though, it was probably a sensitive topic. "Well, I don't blame you. If pokemon wanted to kill me, I'd sure try my best to kill 'em back. 'Specially with what happened in Sinnoh recently. " He shivered slightly. Ben smiled, lightly reaching over and punching Riven in the shoulder. He swayed with the hit, registering it as non-hostile. He was certainly jumpy, but he knew when a hit was supposed to be dangerous or not.

Riven did not care much for what happened in another region, so he neglected to ask. He was apathetic about most things in general. He just wanted to find out what in the hell happened to him and go travel or something. He still felt pretty lost, truth be told. He had no idea what to do or what he wanted to become. Becoming the champion seemed like something everyone wanted to do but it never particularly struck his interest. Because then, he would have to stay in one spot. That was not appealing in the slightest. He liked moving around.

"Berry stew huh?" Riven remarked, tasting sweet pecha in the broth. It was probably his favorite berry. He had a bit of a sweet tooth. Bland food was common in the military, so sweets were often rare and _oh so savored_.

"Yup. It's a traveler's go to wilderness food. Take a pot, heat up some water, put some berries in and presto! You got a meal." Ben said, stuffing a spoonful of the stuff into his mouth. Killing pokemon was a crime in Hoenn, unless the pokemon was known for killing people. He had heard stories about Hoenn's lethality. It had many pokemon capable of killing people, that's why most people steered clear from the wilds there.

"Meat tastes better," Riven stated, not giving two hells about stupid modern laws. He got chewed up for it by Amy, before her stomach betrayed her and tempted her over to the dark side. Ben choked, nearly spitting out his food.

"You hunt? Don't pokemon rangers come after you?" He was astounded. Not only was this guy armed and dangerous, but he had blatant disregard for laws too. Granted, this wasn't Sinnoh. The new laws back there were pretty strict, almost on par with Unova's. Hoenn was a lot more laid back, considering they were all _one with nature_ and stuff.

"If they did, I'd knock them out and be on my way. Should not be too difficult." A single dark brown eye stared back into Ben's hazel eyes.

_Ok, maybe inviting him to lunch was a bad idea._ The man cowered a bit, the younger trainer had a commanding gaze. He didn't really talk much either. He had seen shows with people like this. _Scary…._Trying to make the situation less awkward, he asked Gray a sincere question. "What are going to do, Gray?"

The other trainer made a fist and rested his lip on it, "Hmmm. I have been wondering that myself. I presume I will challenge Brawly and get my second badge. Then head to Mauville, visit a friend and then head to Forina." He motioned to his kirlia, who was lazily sitting on a stump and floating food to his mouth, _again_. "I am going there to get him a dawn stone for his evolution."

Ben was once again, stunned. "Forina? The dawn caves right?"

"I guess?" He really had no idea. Steven told him so he just figured he would find out when he got there. People kept telling him to get a flying pokemon because climbing was too hard. _Tsk, what a bunch of girls. As if a little cliffs will deter me. I am a scout. THE SCOUT. I was the best in the military, no cliff was too hard for my fingers._ He expected Ben to ask if he had a flying type with him.

"Do you have a flying type?"

_Heh, right on time. When I say no, he's going to call me insane._ Riven shook his head side to side.

"Are you fucking insane?"

_Mhmm._ "Of course," the trainer deadpanned once again. He was starting to enjoy this. Giving a toothy grin, he finished the last of his soup. "Thanks for the meal, Ben."

Ben was a little _more_ than just unnerved at this point. He had a potentially insane guy with blades in front of him that seemed delighted in making people squirm. Dangerous? Certainly. He stuck his hands into his pack and pulled out some money, in fear that Gray would skewer him with that sword. "I umm….forgot to pay you for beating me."

Gray shrugged, "I _did_ fall asleep during the battle, so technically it was not _my_ battle. Right?" He grinned. Skirting loopholes in laws was always fun. Nemos and him did it _all_ the time. It never got old. Besides, the man's ragged appearance showed the horrible signs of poverty and in general homelessness. Then again, he did not look much different at the moment. Gray looked like he fell in a dust pit and rolled around in it.

Ben's lips pulled into a half smile. "You conniving bastard. You just love giving the finger to authority don't you?"

"What can I say? I hate it when people try to control me." Riven valued freedom. In fact, all of his people did. They had very little laws back home, only a few criminal ones to prevent stealing and senseless murder. Strangely enough, the crime rate in Altea was pretty much non-existent, despite others calling them bloodthirsty savages.

"Yup. You are insane. Well, aren't you going to challenge Brawly? What're you waiting for man?"

"There is about fifty trainers waiting in line at this current moment, it will be about three damn weeks before I can even get a shot at the badge. That is why I went cave exploring. You saw how that went." Scyther be damned, he hated zubats more than anything now. They were nasty, ugly, and they sucked your blood. At least scyther just wanted you dead. He could live with that. They also were not creepy.

Ben laughed, still picturing Gray's face as he tried getting the zubat off him, swinging his arms around like a flailing magikarp. "You're picturing me in one of my biggest lowlight moments of my life are you not?" The backpacker broke out into hysterical laughter, confirming Gray's guess. He rolled on the floor, causing Gray and his pokemon to stare at him with blank stares. That had been a lowlight moment for them too.

Haona was a proud absol. She couldn't possibly stand being ridiculed by another human. She went over and paw smacked Ben on the head before regally, and _dramatically_, turning away with her head held high. He rubbed his sore head, surprised by her attitude.

"You deal with that on a daily basis?"

Riven nodded, "Pretty much. She acts like a real human girl. The bratty kind. But she is really soft underneath all that. I named her White Queen because she reminds me of those stuck up Queens that just _love_ to push people around." He always hated higher ups. They needed to be brought down a notch. Or two. Or three.

Ben only shook his head, grinning at the sight of such an unorthodox team. An insane and potentially dangerous trainer, a lazy kirlia, an energetic combusken, and a regal absol that bullied the insane one. It made no sense. But hey, he'd seen even more dysfunctional teams before. The champion of his region started off with a team that half wanted to kill each other at first. He only had a graveler and a shieldon. Rock pokemon weren't high maintenance at all, and seemed to lack the more obnoxious personalities.

He and Gray exchanged holo caster numbers. Even though Ben thought Gray was a little crazy, he seemed like a pretty chill guy after spending a large part of the day talking with him. They bid each other farewell and headed back to town.

* * *

Riven walked through the doors of the pokemon center, feeling a bit tired. Not hungry at least, but rather exhausted. Ben had been a pleasant fellow. He was not an asshole and reminded him of Amy, another trainer he had encountered that was not a complete cunt. Irritating perhaps, but tolerable and amiable for the most part.

He froze as he noticed Joy's face. She stomped out of the reception desk and stopped in front of him. She shook him, _hard_. Riven could intimidate most people, but not Nurse Joy. She was scarier than most men when she was angry, and she certainly scared him.

"WHAT HAPPENED TO YOU YOUNG MAN? YOU LOOK TERRIBLE! TELL ME THIS INSTANT!" She demanded, drawing attention from the other trainers in the center. She was shaking the boy violently at this point. His head bobbed back and forth, shaking some dust loose from his hair.

"I uh...er…fell?" He replied weakly. Joy looked appalled at the pathetic attempt of an excuse. It was not technically a lie, but not the whole truth either.

"YOU FELL? YOU LOOK LIKE YOU GOT TRAMPLED BY A HERD OF TAUROS!" She exclaimed, checking his torn up arms and face. "You need to go wash up as soon as I take care of these cuts and scrapes. What in Arceus' name were you doing?"

"I went cave exploring and I kind of…fell." Her glare demanded truth. "Really far down?" The glare was still there. "About fifty feet?" He continued before Joy could shake him again."Then I got attacked by the biggest horde of zubats I have ever seen." He swore that most of the trainers in the center were snickering at that comment. _Everyone_ knew about zubats and caves, except this idiot.

"_He didn't have a repel_," whispered a kid to his friend who was snickering alongside him. Riven shot them a menacing glare that promised bloody murder. The kids took off to their room, still laughing at him.

"Oh, my. Granite Cave can get dangerous, it isn't the first time that it had a cave collapse. Some people have died in there. Be careful!" She scolded him in the medical room, while subsequently dumping alcohol on his arms. He howled like a wounded mightyena.

Slightly irritated at the fact that he was just man handled by Nurse Joy, he set his clothes to go wash in the wash room and went to shower while waiting for the clothes to be done. The water was ice cold. He liked it that way. He finished and then threw his pokemon in there too. White Queen preferred temperate water. _Hmph, figures._ Mischief liked it a bit cold and Aine accepted nothing less than scalding hot. He put on some white bath robes that the centers had in the bathrooms. He dried his hair and waited in his room for a bit. Retrieving his clothes, he got dressed and was out like a rock five seconds after his face came into contact with the bed.

_Mmmmmmm, soft_.

After three weeks of training and preparation, Riven was finally able to get a shot at Brawly. He was a bit nervous at first, hearing disconcerting stories from disappointed trainers about how brutal Brawly's pokemon were. So, generally, he had a right to be wary. After all, only ten of the fifty trainers that had come to challenge him had succeeded.

The gym had been laughably easy. He just used Mischief, who was easily able to sweep most of Brawly's team with psychic and confusion. The only problem had been that damn Medicham. He used White Queen for that since Aine would have a weakness to it's psychic and Mischief knew no non-psychic moves. She was able to get in a good mega horn in after locking the medicham's feet in ice.

The surfer handed him the Knuckle Badge and told him something unintelligible about a giant wave something or other. He was unable to decipher Brawly's supposed 'bro' talk, it was like an entirely new language. He just stood there, stupidly nodded his head and smiled when it seemed appropriate.

Proud of his newly earned badge, he supposed he should head to the docks to buy a ticket for Slateport City. With luck, the trainer would be able to get on today and arrive in Slateport a week later.

Unfortunately, as all things went when it came to his dear good fortune, it turned out that the ferry for the seaside city was not scheduled to arrive until _two_ bloody fucking weeks from now. Which meant he had to stay on Dewford for another two weeks. Paying rent every day for fourteen more days was a definite _no_. It was going to be two weeks of homeless wilderness sleeping from here on out. It was not that horrible. He preferred the sounds of the waves and the night, they were soothing and helped one fall asleep that much faster.

He spent the next two weeks residing in Brawly's gym, watching him battle trainers that were rematching him in hopes of winning a knuckle badge. Some of them put up great fights and lost by a hair, while others had crippling type advantages that Brawly's pokemon simply pulverized. An interesting match was against Sinnohan fighting type trainer named Seab that had a lucario. It fought well and managed to beat the gym leader's hariyama for the win. It kept oddly staring at Riven though, growling and hissing at him like he was some sort of demonic creature. _Is it something on my face? What is that thing's quarrel with me?_ White Queen growled back, prompting the lucario to turn away. Now that he noticed the lucario's behavior, he remembered that the medicham also looked at him that way, eyes full of hostility. What was up with that?

Brawly would often talk to him after the gym battles, surprisingly wise. Despite his near code like bro speech, he gave genuinely sound advice. He also told Riven to shorten his words more. Use don't instead of do not, and to be less jumpy. Brawly advised the eighteen year old to be less wound up. Apparently, he was more wound up than a whismur at night. It took him a week to get used to it but he had started to use contractions quite often as a result. They made it easier to communicate and made him seem more normal, something Brawly also suggested him to do.

Riven had to admit that Brawly also wasn't such a bad person either. In fact, he was much like Ben. They were understanding and pleasant to be around. Just like with Roxanne, he gave a farewell to the fighting type gym leader and a promise of a rematch. Before he left for the ferry, he made sure to pay one last visit to old man Samuel. The old man hugged him and told him to hurry up and become champion before he died, that way he could feel proud about something before he went. Riven felt strange, being hugged like that. But he didn't mind, Samuel deserved it, after everything he had been through.

Stepping onto the ferry, it would be a week before he arrived in the port city. The sky was clear, no storm clouds in sight. It would be a smooth enough voyage. Leaning on a rail, he wasn't depressed like he had been coming to Dewford. He felt joy and excitement, wondering what the city had in store for him. Mischief was next to him, thriving off the positive feelings from his trainer.

_Looks like you're finally lightening up, trainer. Let's hope you keep it up. I don't want to get ugly. _What? Negative feelings made kirlias ugly. He had to stay handsome for the ladies somehow right?

Riven felt someone bump into him and turned to the source of the distraction. His joyous mood came crashing down, realizing who he had _just_ encountered. It was that Elu kid from the Petalburg Woods.

"HEY! IT'S THE ASSHOLE WHO CUT MY POKEBALL IN TWO!"

"Oh, look it's the snotty nosed brat who tried to cheat me out of my money."

"REMATCH DICK!"

"We can't battle here, idiot."

"WE BATTLE WHEN WE GET TO SLATEPORT THEN!"

"You got yourself a deal. I hope you have enough money to feed yourself, because I plan on taking most of it. That'll teach you not to be a shitty con…child."

"WHATEVER, PSYCHO! YOU'RE ON!"

Riven and Elu glared at each other and shook hands, sealing the agreement.


	15. Voyages

It would be three more days until the SS Tidal docked in Slateport. The most interesting thing to occur in the passing was the sight of an abandoned ship that was floating in the water. It was barely afloat, and had numerous trainers and their pokemon exploring the interior. No doubt it's valuables had already been cleared out long ago. It was probably a home for sea creatures at this point. It sent an eerie shiver down his spine though, the holes in the ship looked _human sized_. He didn't feel like thinking about what happened there. Stranded at sea didn't sound very nice.

Apart from that slightly chilling observation, the voyage was uneventful. He talked with other trainers but since they couldn't technically battle, it was all strategy and badge comparisons. Elu would spite him from afar, glaring around corners and eyeing him in the cafeteria. The kid seemed fixated on beating him for some reason. Riven often took up his place near the ship's nose, feet dangling between the bars along with his pokemon. He talked with Ben quite a bit. White Queen seemed to enjoy being out here the most. She fell asleep listening to the waves more often than not. She didn't seem to like crowds, given most humans' apprehension towards her, Riven understood why.

Looking out towards the sea, he took out the small blue orb he found in that crystal cave in Dewford and held it out up to the sun. It sparkled blue and caught the attention of some girls nearby. The trainer had to glare at them before they left, they kept bothering him to see it, apparently it was like a sapphire or something. He held the orb back up to the sun, trying to see inside of it. It was no use, the orb was solid and not hollow in the slightest. He still didn't know what in the blazes it did, or what it was made to do. Everything was such a mystery, and it was frustrating.

He figured he should call Steven, but at the same time, didn't feel like it at all. He would surely be interested in the sphere and could probably have more insight into it's purpose. But, he trusted the man about as far as he could throw him. The orb was probably centuries old, maybe more. And worth thousands at that. Maybe he could sell it off to one of those collectors that he'd heard about and earn a nice sum of money so he wouldn't have to work again. But he still wanted to know what the damn thing _did_.

The sun was starting to burn. His pants were especially starting to heat up. It wasn't as bad as it was with the black leather cuirass he would wear but it was still uncomfortable. Standing up, he went back to his cabin, taking his pokemon with him. He preferred the shade anyway.

On the bed once again, he began tossing the orb in the air up and down repeatedly. Relatively bored, he took out his pokedex and set it on the side of the bed. "Hello, Charles. It's been a while since I last conversed with you." The pokedex lit up and a smooth voice replied.

"Quite, Sir. It has been some time indeed. Are you bored," Charles asked. That was usually what his owner opened him up for, most of the time.

"Mostly." Riven felt a little bad for him, since he only opened him up when he was bored or had nothing to busy himself with. It wasn't fair to Charles but he couldn't have him open all the time. That would drain his battery. Charles said he didn't want to be left battery-less. To him, it was like death. Riven respected that, so he made it a point to charge him whenever possible.

"Ah, well. Where are you headed now?" The A.I. was last opened in Rustboro. He completely missed Dewford town.

"Slateport City. I just finished getting off Dewford after two weeks of waiting for the ferry to come here."

"Slateport is a beautiful city , sir. I suggest you visit the oceanic museum. The exhibits are interesting and could inform you of some of the wonders of Hoenn's ocean. There is also a bazaar where plenty of useful items and supplies are sold."

"Wait. If you can't see, how do you know it's beautiful?" Could Charles even see? Riven was curious.

"Ah, internet sir. They programmed that into many pokedexes lately, it allows for more accessible information. I can see through a scanner of sorts, it functions like the eye in the human body."

"So…can you scan this orb and tell me some facts about it? Like you do with pokemon?." He held up the orb, unaware of what his pokedexes capabilities were restricted to.

Charles would be facepalming, if he had a face and hands. "Sir, I'm a pokedex not a rock encyclopedia."

The trainer was surprised to hear his pokedex respond that way. He was developing a snarky streak within him, somewhere. However it is that 'AI's worked. "Was that a snarky comment Charles?"

"Uh. I meant that with no disrespect, sir. But in all honesty, that was a stupid request sir."

"How so? Aren't you a computer or something? They have a plethora of information in them."

"Sir, you asking me to analyze a rock would be like me asking you to hack a sophisticated government run system with firewalls and security protocols using a laptop."

"I understood none of that." Riven frowned. "Dammit Charles." The pokedex had a point. He couldn't even turn on a computer without making a mess of his brain. He had tried it in the library. Didn't work out. He ended up in the control panel typing with his two index fingers at turtle's pace. The librarian that was teaching him to use the computer got frustrated and threw him into the book sections. So much for his lessons.

Charles let out a small 'aha' with his digital voice. His tone changed and was all formality again. "Perhaps I suggest warning Mr. Stone of the object?" It wasn't an ill conceived idea, in fact, most of Charles' suggestions were very intellectually sound.

Riven made a sour face. "I don't trust him. Besides, he's already busy examining a stone my mother gave me. I don't want him to get even _more_ distracted. The man is obsessed with rocks. I'm pretty sure it's useless but you never know with these things. It might hold some secret meaning. But I highly doubt it." Charles might say he was being paranoid about Devon's stand in CEO, but only someone with no sense of caution would trust someone immediately after they attacked them. Well, that's what Riven thought. People were different.

Charles asked in a flat tone,"Are you sure you are not just being overly paranoid?"Riven groaned. What was with people being so _trusting_? Well technically, the AI wasn't a person. But that was besides the point. He was intelligent at least, that counted.

"A healthy dose of paranoia never hurt anyone," he curtly replied, tossing the orb higher. Charles let out what sounded like a slight snort.

Charles joked,"Sir, that should be your catch phrase. You seem to love using it."

"You made a joke Charles. That's new."

"Yes. I do have a sense of humor. I also know what went on in Dewford when you accidentally flipped me open." Riven gave him a questioning look. "You, zubats, panic.""If I could have seen your countenance, I would have been dying of laughter. Figuratively, of course. And from the look of things, you seem to have taken Brawly's advice. You are using contractions now." His owner froze.

"You saw that did you? We shall _never_ speak of it again. Seriously." It was an embarrassing moment, exposing himself like that, in front of Ben _and _Charles, even though his pokedex had only heard what was happening.

_Gah._

Riven always hated bats.

When he was four, he wandered out of the city and went cave exploring nearby. It felt great, being out of the palace and in a cave, he felt like a true explorer. Then, he tripped and woke up a bunch of golbats. They had bit him badly and one of them managed to inject poison into him. He nearly died after that. His parents sent out a search party and found him limply slumped against a tree for support. He was sweating and his breathing was slowing down. They managed to counteract the poison somehow. He didn't remember much, he was too busy dying to recall much. He got a major scolding from his father and a lesson in avoiding stupidity. It made him laugh, even today.

"I won't tell a soul, sir."

"Good! Then I don't have to blackmail you into complying."

"Did you pick up that strategy from the human girl sir?"

"Amy?...No." Riven was still uneasy about her. He frightened her, somehow. That's why she left. He wanted to visit her in Mauville but he was still deciding whether or not to do so. She looked very disturbed with what she saw. First girl his age that he'd talked to for more than five minutes and he already scared her off. Wasn't looking good. "I'd prefer to avoid mentioning her at this point, it would be better for my conscience."

"Ah, I understand." Charles stopped talking for a while. The pokedex continued flashing blue, indicating that Charles was still there. Although he did not possess a living body, he was a person of sorts, he could tell by the pitch in someone's voice if they were troubled. "Sir, is something bothering you?"

_Better question would be, what isn't bothering me._ "No," He lied, having ten different issues and problems flying around his mind. This place wasn't anything like before. It was complicated. In the military, all he did was follow orders. Now, he was on his own. He didn't know what to do, or what to think. And regular people were…difficult, to say the least. Amy came to mind.

Although, he never had to deal with _unexpected_ assassination attempts. Which brought up another point, one far darker. Enemies could be anywhere, could strike at any time, even in the safest of places. Petalburg had shown that. In some ways, the world was the same. It was all a delusion of safety. Still people out there that wanted you dead. It was slightly comforting, in a sick and twisted sort of way.

But he wasn't the target, it was May. It was strange though. The attempt was done by humans. The assailants could have easily used pokemon. Then his little seemingly 'heroic' actions would have been in vain. But why hadn't they? _You can fight people, you can't fight a flamethrower_. Using a pokemon would be_ far_ more effective, as much as it frightened him to admit it. It could have left him a smoldering pile of ashes and they could have still finished the job. _With no one to stop them. But they chose the conventional method_. Why in the hell they would do that? He definitely would have used a pokemon if he wanted her dead badly enough.

But why choose the old fashioned way? Attract less attention? Maybe. But it contradicted with the fact that they chose a public execution. Unless…he had ruined their plans in another way. How? He didn't know. Regardless, it was done with. As long as they stayed away from him, it mattered little. He just hoped he wouldn't get caught in more dangerous situations.

Sick of thinking about Petalburg, he stopped tossing the orb. Arm falling limply to the side, he placed the orb back into his bag. Staring back at the ceiling, he sighed heavily again. Charles was silent. He probably knew that the trainer was thinking about something, so he chose to stay quiet. The red device's artificial being was extremely observant. Then, Riven spoke, changing the course of thought to something more lighthearted and less annoying and dark.

"Charles, how can trainers bond with pokemon so well if they can't understand a single word they say? All I hear is them utter their names, and guess at what they are trying to say to me."

His pokedex flashed again. "That is a good question. And that is what it consists of, many guesses based on observations and body language. Pokemon convey messages to trainers like a person would to another if faced with a language barrier. Physical movements, facial expressions, and especially the eyes. But, you can always just buy a translator. It's far more practical than learning how to read body language."

The young man shot up from the bed. "Translator? Where can I get one? How much? Does it work for all pokemon?" If he got one of those, he could talk with his pokemon. Finally. Then maybe he could sass White Queen right back. And snap some sense into his lazy pervert of a kirlia. Aine was fine, she just needed to slow down sometimes.

"Slow down sir. I believe most malls have them in stock. However, I heard they are quite expensive. Most trainers can't afford them,"the A.I. replied.

That was disconcerting but manageable. All he had to do was work a couple of weeks right? Shouldn't be too difficult. "I'll have to look for it in Slateport. With lu- best not even say that, rephrase_. Perhaps_ I might find some there. And not too expensive." He had only about forty thousand to his name, probably only enough for a TM, it definitely would not do.

"I wish you the best of luck."

"Thank you Charles. You're very helpful." Riven thanked him, his pokedex proved to be a very valuable asset for him. Without it/him, he would be a lost growlithe puppy. He would probably still be stuck in Petalburg, gawking at the buildings. And losing battles, because he would never have gotten those type lessons from Charles.

"My pleasure sir."

Flipping him closed, Riven's stomach grumbled and he headed off to the cafeteria to get something to eat. _Breaded magikarp fillet today_. It sounded promising, most of the prepared food from the future was. They just contained a flavor that couldn't be achieved from food in his time. It was often dry and bland. People ate out of pure necessity. Now all Riven could think about was stuffing his face. He had lived through years of shitty food, he was going to_ enjoy_ the good stuff.

* * *

Detective Williams sat in his desk, twirling a pin in between his fingers. It was blood stained, but the crimson liquid had already dried up. This little pin had given them no results. None of the databases on any of the teams matched a description. He was starting to think this was mob related. He didn't completely discard the fact that it could be a recently formed team though.

The fact of the matter was, he had no leads on which to go on. The motives behind the attack weeks ago were still unknown. His captain had grown tired of trying to answer to the press. They knew absolutely nothing. The _guy_ that might have, despite his repugnantly apathetic nature, was gone. They had his prints and photo, although it looked more like a beating victim picture than a mug shot. His right eye was swollen shut and dried blood ran down his right side. They only had a 'Gray' to go by, nothing else. The man was incredibly generic. Black hair that came down to his eyes, average build, six feet tall, pale, brown eyes. That was nearly eighty percent of the older male trainer population. Finding him would be near fucking impossible.

The detective groaned in annoyance and spun around on his chair for a bit, bored. There had been no calls or anything since the incident. Not a single damn robbery or murder. Crime was fairly low in Petalburg, compared to the larger cities. It wasn't very big, and easy to manage. They had done drug busts plenty of times before, and took down quite a bit of the mob's men with some help from Norman. The assassination attempt caused more of an uproar than anticipated.

The internet exploded. Coordinators and trainers posted on social media like mad, expressing their concerns and condolences, as well as an uneasiness about the Slateport Contest. Many of them were reluctant to participate in the Slateport Contest following the violent aftermath of the Petalburg Incident. The National Hoenn Contest Federation had postponed the contest due to a flooding of complaints and warnings of the people.

May had made a public statement that she was going to stay in Petalburg and not participate in any contests for some time. Williams could hear the shaking of her voice when she spoke, the incident had created some trauma for her. It was unfortunate, she was a wonderful coordinator. Her home had been assigned extra police vigilance, in case the assassins came back to finish what they started.

Norman had recovered, but was still receiving physical therapy. The gym remained open, thankfully. That way, Nurse Joy wouldn't be tearing her hair out dealing with so many trainers. She was a kind soul, but when she was angry, she was a force to be reckoned with.

Williams began dozing off, when a phone rang and startled him. Rose picked up and asked what was the case. Her eyes widened. She hung up the phone slowly. She turned to the detective.

"Williams, we need to go. NOW."

"Why? What's going on?"

Rose gave him an ominous look. Whatever it was, it was grave. "The Office of Contests and Events was just attacked. Malcom Van is in critical condition."

Williams' eyes widened. Almost everyone on hand stood up and rushed out of the office. "Let's find them."

The building didn't look any different than normal. However, once inside, he saw several of the workers on the floor, severely beaten. The secretary at the front desk was dead, a bullet hole in her forehead. Williams swallowed and went in further. He kicked open the door to Van's office and found the man strapped to his chair, face bloody and purple from punches it seemed. "Call the paramedics. We have plenty of people here who are hurt. Who knows how many dead. Set up a perimeter and seal this place off, no one enters or leaves this area without us knowing about it." He told an officer, who ran off to go carry out his orders.

_Another attack….. You'd be stupid if you couldn't connect it with the assassination attempt. This time it's Van. He isn't dead. They didn't come for his life, they came for information._

He knew Van. He was a happy go lucky man that never hurt anyone. He wasn't made for torture. He probably gave in and told them whatever they needed. Then they beat the living shit out of him. These criminals were ruthless, they were on a whole different level. Almost like Team Plasma. He'd heard the stories from some of his buddies in Unova. Some nasty things had gone down over there.

Van was taken to the hospital and some of his fellow detectives went with him, they were going to question him after he woke up. Williams and a few others stayed behind and examined the scene. They went through security tapes, the faces of the scum were all obscured by black masks. The footage didn't reveal anything significant. It only showed the brutality of the men. He turned it off after a few minutes, refusing to watch Van getting beat to a pulp.

An officer came up to him. "Detective Williams, there are fourteen wounded and three dead."

"Who died?"

"The secretary, the security manager, and an intern. He died from blunt head trauma. He looked like a dang mess. Manager was shot three times in the chest, secretary died from a bullet to the head."

Williams nodded grimly before slumping in a chair in the security room. He had to go through the audio tapes now. Maybe they would reveal something important. He turned them on.

The men burst into Van's office.

"_DON'T FUCKING MOVE. MOVE AND WE'LL KILL YOU."_

"_Ok ok ok! Please, calm-"_

"_SHUT THE FUCK UP!"_

"_SIT DOWN AND SHUT UP UNLESS WE ASK YOU A QUESTION. GOT IT? OR WE KILL ONE OF YOUR PEOPLE."_

There was a brief silence. One of the attackers asked Van a question.

"_Director Van, who was that man?"_

"_What?"_

"_I won't repeat myself. WHO WAS THAT MAN?" _

"_I d-d-d-don't understand!"_

Two seconds of silence. _"Kill the secretary."_

_BANG._

"_She's dead now. I suggest you start answering clearly. Now. Where were we?" _Pause_. "That's right. Who is the guy that you hired as the head security?"_

"_Y-y-y-you m-mean for the contest?"_

"_Yes."_

"_He was a random trainer that came in! He just asked for a job and he was the first so I gave it to him. I don't know who he is!"_

"_I see. What was his name?"_

"_Why?"_

"_Kill the intern. Don't ask me questions. Let's just say our boss is less than thrilled about that entire incident. And that little piece of shit ruined everything. So we're going to find him. And get rid of him."_

Screaming was heard. Williams winced.

"_His name was…Gray. I think…"_ Van was shaking and crying in fear. It was clearly present in his voice.

"_Gray? No last name?"_

"_No…"_

"_What did you say?"_

"_No!"_

"_And you just let him sign on like that without asking for information? Hah, Van, you're an idiot."_ The guy questioning probably turned to the others. _"We're done here. Make sure he gets the message." _

"_WHO ARE YOU MONSTERS!?" _Van screamed.

"_We're the next step. We're the singularity."_ Fingers snapped. Boots were heard. Then metal extending.

Van could then be heard getting beat by metal, with his screams promptly dying out a few seconds later.

"_Oh and for the love of god, please get rid of the security manager. I can't stand the sight of him."_

_Bang. Bang. Bang._

The tape ended.

Williams froze. They were after that boy. That boy's head was on a hit-list now. _Shit!_ As much as he hated the kid, he didn't want him dead. _But how will they find him? That boy could be anywhere now_. Finding a specific person with just a first name and an appearance as generic as his would be incredibly difficult. On the flip side, that kid was no pushover. He knew how to handle himself, he was also a trainer, meaning his pokemon could defend him. However, he was only one guy. Eventually, even the strongest can fall with sufficient numbers.

_Stay alive kid. I want you alive when I put you in cuffs._

* * *

Amy was on the front porch, swinging from her porch swing with her swablu. It had been quite some time since the Petalburg incident, but the footage still bothered her. Considering the person who was involved directly in that, she couldn't forget it. She shook her head to get out of her mind for a while. It was still the most talked about thing lately, considering the Slateport contest was supposed to be held in a week.

Obviously that wasn't going to happen.

Not with Petalburg still fresh in people's minds, even after more than a month of tranquility. The news had been questioning the National Contest Federation about the incident, which they declined to speak about. They only said they were trying to do the best they could to resolve the issue. It seemed problems were popping up fucking EVERYWHERE. First the teams, then Sinnoh, and now this.

She looked up at the sky before she suddenly hopped off the bench, nearly knocking her Swablu off her head. It chirped angrily, scolding her for the sudden movement. "Mila, it's okay. I didn't mean to scare you." She tickled her beak, calming the flying pokemon. Amy was headed to Rydell's bicycles, he was getting a new shipment of bikes today and her dad gave her money to go buy one. He said that it would be far easier to get around on one. And it would save her from the infamous blister affliction that plagued trainers all the time.

The purchase didn't last too long. She bought a Mach bike in a dark red color. She liked speed over fancy tricks. Some of her friends could do those tricks on their bikes and hope onto those strange white rails on some of the routes, but she never bothered. She also didn't choose the color pink, despite her friends' insistence on it. Amy never really liked the color and she wasn't _that_ feminine to begin with. She became a pokemon trainer after all. Boys often said that women weren't meant to be _real_ trainers. She always answered back with a kick to the balls or a punch to the face. Some of the boys around were _still_ scared of her.

Wattson saw her skill with battling and told her to become a trainer. He said he saw the spark of adventure in her and wanted it to grow into a powerful bolt of lightning, like so many others before her. She felt energized and decided to enlist in the league. That was a year ago. Wattson had a way with trainers, just like many of the other gym leaders, they inspired them and kept them going, acting like mentors. She really liked the old man.

Walking back to her house, she passed by a tunnel. Overhead was the cyclist's road, where trainers and bikers zoomed by to get to and from Slateport in a hurry. She wanted to go up there tomorrow and race like crazy. Mach bikes were_ fast_. Thinking of how good the wind would feel, she bumped into something small and green without realizing it.

-"TRIKE!"- It zapped her with a thundershock after she stepped on it.

"Sorry!" She said as she passed by the little pokemon. It shocked anything that disturbed it.

That was Grumpy. He was an electrike that lived under the tunnel and was almost always unreasonably grumpy. That's why some of the residents gave him the name. No one really wanted him, since he was fairly aggressive and shocked anyone that came too close. There was also lots of electrikes around too. She had given him food on occasion and once thought about catching him. But she already had Jak, who was now a Flaffy. A diverse team was always the best and ground types would have an advantage over her if she carried two electric types. It was sad to see Grumpy under the tunnel everyday, but he didn't seem to mind.

Amy carried on and went past the tunnel, heading back to her home. She heard an explosion and squinted ahead. Running up to the source, she saw two trainers battling it out. A lucario was fighting against a swellow. The explosion that she'd heard was from a collision between an aura sphere and an air slash.

The blonder sat down and observed the battle, she could get home later on her bike. This was _way_ more interesting. The lucario and the swellow traded hits before an aura sphere hit the bird in the face and caused it to collide against the steel type after it used brave bird. Both pokemon fell on the floor at the same time, swirls in their eyes. It was a draw. Those usually didn't happen.

Both trainers returned their pokemon and shook each others hands. The boy who owned the lucario walked in her direction and the other guy walked towards Verdanturf. The trainer coming near her probably didn't see her yet. She stood up and called out to him. "Hey! Nice battle!"

He looked up and spotted her. Walking up beside the blonde he replied, "Yeah. It was tough but fortunately I didn't lose."

"You didn't win either."

"Nope. And my wallet is happy about that, heh. You saw everything then?"

"No. Just the end of it."

"Oh. You live here?"

"Yep. Just over that hill. Did you face the leader yet?"

"Ah…no. Wattson scares me."

"WHAT?" He was scared of Wattson? The guy was so friendly! "How come? He's one of the nicer leaders."

"Electric pokemon scare me. My sister has a luxray and it single-handedly swept my entire team. She teases me about it and because of that, I decided I'd come to Hoenn to challenge the league here. I was scared of Volkner," The trainer said. He was as tall as her and had dark blue hair, with brown eyes. He wore a jacket with a pokeball symbol on the right. It looked like one of those winter weather jackets.

_Clearly from Sinnoh, he's pale as heck._

"Oh. I could tell you're from Sinnoh, you'd be crazy to be wearing a jacket like that here in Hoenn. It gets _hot_. What's your name?"

"Oh. I'm Seab. You?"

"Amy. Nice to meet you." They shook hands. "How old are you?"

"Fifteen." He replied. "You?"

"Eighteen." She gave him a look. Amy knew what she wanted from him.

"I know that look. You want a battle!" He smiled, confidence brimming in his eyes. "Alright. I accept your challenge. Right after I get my pokemon healed!"

Amy grinned, she would look forward to stomping him into dust. That loss to Gray made her push herself harder than usual during training sessions. It paid off since Jak had evolved. He was faster now and his attacks were stronger. Her swablu learned gust and air slash, which would come in handy against that lucario. "Ok, Seab. Come back here tomorrow at two and we'll battle. I guarantee you that it won't be a tie though! I've never battled a Sinnohan before, and I don't plan on losing to one anytime soon."

The younger boy nodded and went off in the direction of the Mauville city pokemon center. She got on her bike when she heard a loud, "ELECTRIKE!" Electricity was heard, and Seab screamed like a girl.

Amy giggled, _Grumpy strikes again_.

* * *

Ben was on the railing, along with Gray, who was sulking.

"It's okay man. It wasn't your fault…entirely. Okay maybe it was." He was trying to convince the other trainer that it wasn't his fault he'd accidentally dropped his large case into the sea.

They were at the nose of the ship and Gray had left the case on the floor while he sat down and dangled his feet between the railings. Ben was talking to him about Sinnoh. He looked genuinely interested, especially with his_ epic_ description of his trek to Mt Coronet. That was an outrageously crazy trek indeed. So many things happened on that expedition, he couldn't possibly contain his excitement. He was telling the black haired trainer of it all, the craziness, the drama, the danger.

"Whoa. Mt. Coronet sounds like one hell of a trip. Maybe I'll head to Sinnoh and go there some day." Gray said with Ben's wonderful description of his journey to the mountain.

Ben was surprised. "You climb?"

"Of course! It's amazing, climbing to new heights and seeing the world like a bird. It's satisfying too." The younger man replied, showing Ben his calloused hands. Hands of a climber indeed.

"Yup. Those are climber's hands. I got 'em too." He showed him his own hands too. It was weird, comparing hands with another dude. Seemed a bit questionable but hey, climbers unite.

"You going for Mt. Chimney, Ben?" Gray asked, knowing that Ben wouldn't rest until he conquered Hoenn's mountain too.

"Oh hell yes. There's a cable car that takes people up there but I like the thrill of trekking and climbing, makes life more interesting, you know?"

"Definitely."

"When I reach the top, I'm gonna scream. Then buy some lava cookies, I heard they're pretty good."

"Lava cookies?"

"Yeah, a souvenir from the very top of the mountain. Well, it's more of a volcano."

"A VOLCANO?" Gray seemed truly startled. He did come from Littleroot, so it was understandable. Those people were pretty isolated.

"Yup. They spew molten rock and ash hundreds of feet into the air. I heard there's a town near there that's always covered in ash. I want to go there too. Collect a sample or two and bring it home."

Gray's left eye flashed in amazement, he was getting ideas in his head. Ben smiled, he felt the same when he realized that he ended up in an _entirely_ new region to explore. It wasn't as cold as Sinnoh but he didn't mind. There was adventure and sights to see and experience. That was reason enough. He looked at the trainer next to him.

"So, you headed to Forrina?"

"That's correct."

"You're gonna need some rope for those Dawn caves."

"Why's that?"

"You don't know?" Gray shook his head. "Those caves aren't any less caves than they are holes in the very top of some of the Forrinan spires." His eye widened. "They go down for hundreds of feet and branch off into a bunch of caves inside the spires." He grinned at the black haired trainer, who looked astounded, and slightly unsure of himself. He slapped him on the back. "Don't worry, it's not like people haven't fallen to their deaths there many times right? An experienced climber like you can handle it right? Mr. I-don't-need-a-flying pokemon?" Ben laughed, slightly teasing the other guy.

"Oh, haha. I'll get up there, flying pokemon or not. If only I could prove it once I got there." Gray looked up at the bright blue sky, following some of the clouds with his eye.

"You can take a picture with your holo caster." Ben had the feeling Gray was a technophobe. By his absolute suckage with technology that he'd displayed these past few days around the ship, he was right. Ben remembered watching him open up his cabin door with a keycard. It opened with a swipe and he stood there pointing at the door like an idiot.

_IT OPENED! BEN! Whoa. IT'S LIKE MAGIC!_

Ben snickered. Gray gave him a confused glance. The hiker waved a hand and just looked at the shimmering blue water ahead. Then he saw Gray shift slightly, moving something large and black to his side, hearing a watery _plop _seconds later.

Gray shot up to his feet and stared at what he'd just dropped. It was the large case he carried around. The one he kept those cool looking Kanton blades in. It had just fell into the water. Only the top of the case was visible before it submerged completely. Ben looked at Gray whose mouth was open and who only uttered a strained "uh…"

Hence, Gray's somber attitude. Gray looked defeated, not broken, just…bummed out? The black haired trainer held out his hands while on his knees in an oh-god-why pose. Ben felt like snapping a picture. But he didn't. He didn't know how attached Gray was to those blades but by his reaction, pretty significantly.

He mellowed out two days afterwards, now only moderately bothered by the loss of the case. He'd wanted to go dive back in for them, but they were in the tentacruel fields. If he got caught in that, the guy was dead. Ben convinced him that it was _not _a good idea to go get the case, it was probably under hundreds of feet of water at this point. And death by paralysis followed by drowning sounded horrible.

Then, Ben saw something that was sure to lift his mood. "Look!" Gray didn't move a muscle, Ben huffed and turned his head towards the front of the ship. "It's Slateport, you depressed fool! Cheer the hell up already!"

The other trainer's depressed state seemed to vanish entirely, now replaced by one of sheer awe.

"Holy shit."


	16. Mounting Worries

Obviously, Riven was astounded by the bustling port city. This one looked even bigger than Rustboro, but had fewer towering buildings closer to the ocean. Ships were docked in the harbor and people were everywhere. Some lined up for passage on the ships or simply leaned on the dock rails to look out towards the sea. Wingulls and pelliper flew overhead, squawking mixing in with the murmurs of the people and movement of the water. Definitely the telltale sounds of a busy port. The young man could see much taller buildings in the distance, and to the sides of the port, smaller warehouses by the looks of them. A beautiful building with silhouettes of water pokemon was directly adjacent to the SS Tidal. It was the Oceanic Museum that his pokedex had mentioned.

Parents and their children entered in and out of the building constantly, smiles on their faces. Charles had suggested that he visit the museum but since it was an aquatic one, he figured he wouldn't be able to extract any relevant information there.

He ignored the place and ventured into the city. It was far less urban than Rustboro and lacked the bus routes too. There were more tourists and street vendors, as well as trainers on bikes. He needed a bike. It would be easier on his feet. He had been developing a nasty blister on his right foot.

_If only I could find a bike shop._

Ben had left him and told him that he would be staying in the pokemon center, there were three in the city so three weeks of free rent would be good for just about anyone. Riven explored the city until nightfall, dazzled the most by the central part of Slateport, which boasted an open air bazaar on both sides of a manmade canal which emptied out into the sea near the port. The bazaar smelled of spices, herbs, and food. Fish and berry vendors were everywhere, even TM shops and pokeball stores dotted the area. It was a wonderful gathering spot for small time merchants and a melting pot for people from different regions. Looking at the geography of the city, it wasn't hard to understand why that was.

It was a port city with a natural harbor and access to plenty of fish. Access to a water source must have definitely helped. Trade would be abundant here, causing a swelling in size and people. It was an ideal location. Having a beach and beautiful, crystal-clear water? Definite bonus. Riven spent some money on some food that was apparently from the Unova region. It was a plate of pignite ribs with some cheri berry sauce on the top.

"This looks delicious," Riven salivated as the waitress set the food down on his table. He felt a tug by his feet and stared at a blue face and red eyes. White Queen looked curiously intrigued.

"Sol. Absol-sol-ab." White queen seemed to want some. He placed a slice on a napkin and lowered it onto the floor. She sniffed it before recoiling in disgust. She turned to Mischief. "Absol! Sol-sol!" His face also had an expression of disgust and they distanced themselves from the food.

Like it was _damned_.

That was unusual. "Huh? What's the issue? It's food. I thought you liked food."

"SOL!"

"KIR!"

"Oh come on, it isn't _that_ dreadful." The cook's face fell. Riven took another huge bite out of the juicy meat. "It's just a little spicy." Riven then drank an entire cup of water when his tongue felt like someone poured burning tar onto it. Both his absol and kirlia looked visibly annoyed. Mischief had his hands folded. "Alright, so it's _really _spicy." His mouth was open and he was fanning his tongue with his hand, also sweating and red in the face. "…I think I made a mistake eating this." His stomach lurched. "Definitely. Ugh."

Both pokemon rolled their eyes and responded in a way that sounded like _i-told-you-so_.

" I'll give it to Aine, I can't take this anymore." He was going to take a fiery one later. It was going to _sting_. He remembered why he didn't like spicy food, it never went well in the crapper. He let Aine out of her pokeball. She emerged looking lost.

"Aine, you want the rest of this? It's pignite ribs with cheri sauce. It's really spicy." He hoped he wouldn't have to throw it away, it was perfectly good food, albeit spicy as unholy hell.

"BUSK! BUSKEN!" The fire type responded, looking…well, she always looked happy. Maybe she was happier? He moved the food to her side of the table and she began devouring it. White Queen and Mischief looked horrified.

_I guess they don't do well with spicy food_. _Bad wild experience? Aine looks perfectly fine. Then again, she's a fire type. It only makes sense it wouldn't bother her._ He smiled as she finished up the meal with some cheri sauce on her beak. He took a napkin and cleaned it off.

"BUSKEN BUSK BUSK! COMBUSKEN!" She blew a breath of flame, startling the cook in the back. It set a table on fire. He was going to have to pay for that.

"Sorry!"

Riven left the bazaar and got directions to the nearest pokemon center from his pokenav, after an hour of fiddling with it to try and find the damn GPS function. He couldn't believe how easy it was to go around the city with it. All a person had to do was look at the screen and follow the line, it was amazing. He got to the pokemon center near the beach, the same one Ben was staying at. It was HUGE. It was bigger than one measly little house sized facility, this looked like a proper building. It had three floors of residency and four pokemon recovery facilities, and two dining areas.

He had never seen so much trainers in one place. There were four Nurse Joys around a circular reception desk in the middle of the center, attending to the needs of other trainers. It took some waiting but he was able to secure himself a room on the third floor. He rode in the elevator, next to a boy in nearly all black and was startled when he turned to him abruptly and said, "71568, 71568, 71568."

Riven was confused. "What?"

"He caused it."

"I don't get what you're saying."

"Wrong. Don't trust.71568." The boy's purple eyes bore into Riven's, scaring him a bit. The kid's eyes were lifeless and hollow-it was like staring into a pitch black hole. He inched away… _slowly_.

"You're crazy." It was ironic, considering that everyone thought he was the insane one. This was a real nut.

Riven was left in the elevator completely dumbfounded. _Was that one of those hex maniacs_? _Amy went off on a rant about how creepy those guys were, now I believe her. That was creepy. _He had no idea what that boy was going on about. The creeped out trainer hurried to his room and went inside. Not many things were capable of honestly scaring him or creeping him out, this was different. He didn't want to run into that guy again. His eerie meter flew into the atmosphere when that guy started talking to him. Whenever that happened to him, he made it a point to stay a safe distance from those people, his gut was usually right about them.

Riven noted the appearance of the rental room. It was no different from other centers, so he just took care of the usual and headed off to bed. But not before visiting the restroom for explosive results. He was _never_ going to eat spicy food again. He felt like shit. Sleep would do him good.

Even better if no stupid nightmares seeped into his head either. It was weird though. He hadn't had any recently.

The _other_ was strangely quiet. He knew it was going to hit him hard later on. Problem was that he didn't know _when_.

* * *

Amy stood proud on route 117, grinning down at the blue haired boy whom she had just beaten. Seab had put up quite a fight- his lucario had managed to take down her treecko but got taken out by an air slash from her swablu. Mila and Seab's staravia battled it out in the sky, exchanging air slashes and gusts, along with high speed tackles. His staravia was faster and had more maneuverability though, it flipped backwards in the air and landed a nasty air slash on Mila, cutting her back. She fell to the floor bleeding, Amy returned her to her ball before she could get hurt further.

After her swablu fell, she brought out Jak. His wool crackled with electricity and caused Seab to flinch. He _was_ afraid of electric pokemon. Amy smiled viciously and told Jak to use thunderbolt to finish the Sinnohan's staravia off. He easily zapped the bird and it fell onto the ground, yellow sparks flowing across it's feathers. It was down for the count.

Seab was out. He had lost. He went up to Amy and forked over two thousand P-yen, while trying desperately to avoid her Flaffy. Jak only looked mildly confused. The blonde took the cash and brightened, feeling redeemed after her loss to Gray. It didn't hurt that she showed a Sinnohan what Hoennites were made of also._ Not all of us are pushovers or tree-huggers! _She thought as she returned Jak.

"Great battle, Sinnoh dude!"

"My name's Seab…" He murmured back, too low to hear.

"Huh? I couldn't hear you."

"Seab. My name. Not Sinnoh dude."

"Right. Sorry." The blonde laughed as she waved her hands in dismissal. "Anyway, why are you so afraid of electric pokemon? A luxray can't be that bad right?" She had seen a picture of one of them in her school, it looked like a blue lion thing-and kind of awesome.

Seab winced. "Ah…my sister is kind of a bully. Her luxray would shock me at random times for fun and step on my stomach when I slept. Not only is it really strong now, but it's still a bully. It's like they're the same person. And I hated the teasing, like I told you before." He kicked the dirt a bit with his blue shoes. "And Sinnoh has been dangerous. It was bad like one or two years ago, it isn't that bad now but a lot of trainers and families left for the other regions. Something terrible happened. So I thought I'd have a better shot in Hoenn. It isn't as cold either."

"Oh. That sucks. I heard something crazy went on there but I never paid much attention." She remembered hearing tidbits about some serial killers and something or other. "Luckily, that stuff hasn't happened here yet." Then Petalburg slammed into her mind again. Her mood sunk into the Earth's crust and a menacing scowl replaced her smile.

"Is something wrong Amy?" Seab asked, noticing her change in behavior.

"Erm….no. It's nothing. Just something…no someone….I'd like to forget."

"Oh…so…what now?" Seab asked awkwardly, unsure of what to say. Amy was older than him, which made him nervous because he felt like a little kid, even though they were the same height. Older people were just…more demanding. She also was a good trainer, which was a rare trait in most girls. He had heard that many female trainers in Hoenn actually became coordinators instead of trainers, that's why being a male coordinator was embarrassing. At least that's what he heard back in Snowpoint.

He started to walk away from her, towards the pokemon center. The boy was held back by a thin hand. It was Amy. He looked puzzled, they already had their battle. What more did she want?

"You're heading up to Lavaridge?" The blonde girl wondered.

"Yeah, I guess, after I beat Wattson. Whenever it is I uh…face him." Seab looked unsure of himself, desperately avoiding the girl's green eyes. She intimidated him slightly, and she looked like she was about to say something crazy. She stood there for a moment, thinking something over. Seab wasn't going to like it.

"Alright! I'll come with you!" The older girl smiled and grabbed the younger boy's arm, dragging him along into the main part of the city, passing through the route gate. "But first, you're gonna kick that old man's ass alright?" She giggled devilishly as he looked like someone had slapped him with an octillery.

"WHA WHA WHAT!?" The kid was flabbergasted_. She's gonna make me fight Wattson? ELECTRIC? I…ugh…_ Seab went limp.

Amy stopped, noticing a sudden shift in weight, like dragging along a large stone. She looked back and saw a paler than normal Seab on the floor. Amy's eyes narrowed in annoyance and she pulled him to his feet. Then she shook him until the color returned to his face.

"Snap out of it. You are going to get that gym badge and that's that. We need to go before the desert storms get here, the desert is a nasty place to be during that time. And you can't fly over it while the storms are up." Her tone was direct and had no hint of nonsense in it. The desert sandstorms were no joke. Trainers often got lost in the blinding storms while attempting to cross the desert, losing their way and dying of dehydration or other things. Darker things.

Seab recovered and nodded tightly, accepting his fate. He also didn't want to get caught in the storms. The tales about the desert from some older trainers in Mauville sent shivers down his spine. Apparently the storms were strong enough to rip the flesh off of a grown man. He didn't want that to happen to him. Gulping, he was dragged along by Amy straight to the gym.

The battle against Wattson had been brutal. Seab only had two other pokemon, one of which had a severe type disadvantage to electric types. His lucario wasn't as bad as his staravia, but one against a team of four was a difficult task for any pokemon. Amy doubted he could do it and actually began to regret her impulsiveness to make him battle the gym leader, forgetting the fact that the younger trainer only had two pokemon.

Alas, his lucario managed an amazing save while on his last legs, paralyzed and barely conscious. He had knocked out all four of the gym leader's pokemon to secure the victory. Wattson began crying in admiration at the boy and his pokemon's valiant will to go on. Stuffing the boy with the classic Wattson pep talk, Seab left the gym feeling much better than he had gone in. The words the jolly old man had said to him made him feel empowered and…kind of awesome. His fear of electric pokemon had subsided a bit, a wince instead of a full on panic at this point. Amy congratulated him on his victory and showed him her own Dynamo Badge. She grinned and followed the boy to the pokemon center.

After his pokemon had recovered sufficiently, Amy took the boy back to her house, introducing him to her parents. Well, just her mom. Her dad was still at the daycare.

"Mom! This is Seab. He's a trainer from Sinnoh!"

Her mom wore a look of befuddlement. "Why would a Sinnoh trainer come to Hoenn? Oh and forgive my manners, hello Seab. I'm Amy's mom." The boy waved to her.

Amy spoke for the boy. "He came to Hoenn to get away from his sister and also because of the fact that Sinnoh isn't exactly the safest place to be at this point." She grimaced after she said that._ Not that Hoenn has been any better recently._

"Oh. Well, I assume you brought him here to tell us that he's your travel companion?"

"Yep!" Amy replied, excited to continue her journey. It had been relaxing, staying with her parents, but she wanted to go adventure now. She had waited until she was eighteen to start training because of the insistence of her parents that ten year old girls wouldn't be safe by themselves.

"Great. You're the older one, Amy." The older woman gave her cheery daughter a stern glance. "Take care of him." Then she turned to the boy, "And you take care of her. My daughter can be a bit impulsive and prone to obnoxious behavior. Please keep her in check. She has a habit of running into unsavory characters."

Amy winced. _Gray. Damn it_. She didn't want to think she had traveled with a killer like that. He crushed a man's windpipe without thinking about it. Underneath that calm demeanor, Amy got the feeling that the guy had something pretty drastic happen to him, but she couldn't possibly imagine what a rookie trainer like him could have gotten himself into. The scars on his body suggested criminal past. If that was the case, it was best to stay far away from him. Besides, Seab didn't threaten to kill her.

Her mom smiled warmly, hugging Amy and Seab, before shooing them out the door. It was still only noon, the truck driver should still be near the entrance to the desert on route 111. He was a generous man that took young trainers from route 111 through the desert for a fee. It was a long drive-about a day or two to get through the desert going at ninety, three or four going any slower. They shouldn't have a problem.

The two trainers left the house. Her swablu, Mila, was perched on her head. "Mila, we're going adventuring again!" Her pokemon enthusiastically chirped in response, eager to see new places as well.

"Swab- blu-blu!"

Amy laughed and stroked the blue birds cottony wings while she got on her crimson red Mach bike. The bicycle was built for speed and tough roads, with gear shifts to accommodate for rough terrain. It had pegs on the back. Seab noticed the pegs and Amy's sly smirk.

"Oh no. You are _not_ going to have me ride on the back of a mach bike right?" Seab gulped again, this time _really_ fearful for his life. Mach bikes were incredibly fast and difficult to control, many a trainer broke an arm or leg because of carelessness and inability to make sharp turns easily. "I don't think that's a good idea Amy…"

"Nonsense Sinnoh Kid! We gotta go fast! Like sonic!" She grinned again before she took off.

They made it to the trucker alright. Seab nearly passed out and his heart almost exploded, but yeah…they made it. Amy looked refreshed and Mila was exactly the same. Meanwhile he was on the floor while his heart was beating at three hundred beats per minute. _It's one thing being the cyclist, it's another thing placing your safety and well-being on another person while they go at an insane 40 mph while they hurrah._ They were going so fast that some of the trainers on the route couldn't even ask for a battle. They zoomed past them all while Seab was screaming at the top of his lungs.

The man was a regular looking guy with a hat and faded blue jeans. The truck wasn't in amazing condition but it would do. He looked at them and said, "Get in the back and buckle up because we're gonna go straight to ninety. The fare is one thousand P-yen from both of ya. I expect payment by the end of the ride or you're gonna be having choice words with my Machamp, ya hear?" Both trainers nodded furiously, a little scared by the Machamp threat. The trucker looked at Seab before chuckling loudly. "Yo kiddo, I hope you don't soil yourself. It's gonna go pretty fast." The boy shook his head, at least he was in a vehicle this time and not standing on a bike. "Good to go? Alright! Let's get this on!"

The vehicle accelerated and they were off.

* * *

Steven was relaxing on his couch, watching a crime drama on the flat screen in his office. He was drifting off to sleep when his holo caster rang. He stood up and went over to his metagross, who was meditating in the air silently. It often did this for long periods of time and didn't mind holding Steven's things. He picked up the device and set it on his coffee table before sitting down on the couch again.

"Swear to Arceus, if it's Riven I'm going to tear my face off…." He grumbled. That boy better not have disrupted his favorite show for something as stupid as 'DID YOU FIND ANYTHING? WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL ME? I'M GOING TO KILL YOU'. He saw the caller's identification and his brows climbed up to his hairline. It was a pleasant surprise. Depending on the message of course. The caller identification read: _Your Dazzling Champion, Wallace the Great_. Steven snorted. Wallace had set that up as his ID on Steven's registry the last time the champion came to Rustboro a few months back. He didn't bother to change it since he found it amusing.

He clicked on the green call button. "Well, well, well… I didn't expect the champion of the Hoenn region to call me so suddenly. Did a trainer finally take you down a couple fabulous levels, Wallace?"

"No one is ever as grand as me Steven. Don't forget that your crassness." He flipped his curly bang. Steven stifled a snicker. "Jests aside, my dear Devonite, I'm afraid I just called you because I'm how do you say it…frustrated."

"Sexually?"

"That's your forte I'm afraid. Poor Flannery, such a shame." Wallace pretended to wipe fake tears from his eyes.

"Don't even start with that."

"Then don't try and get clever with me Steve, I can embarrass you in more ways than one," The champion bragged, sure of his ability.

"Ok ok, what do you want?"

"I just want to vent…a bit."

"Wallace."

"Yes?"

"Whenever you vent, you turn into a monster."

"I do not."

"The last time you did that, you dropped enough truth bombs to level a mountain."

"I went a little overboard last gym leader meeting didn't I?" Wallace asked nervously, twirling his curls.

"Just a bit."

"ANYWAYS. Stop sidetracking me Steven. It isn't gentlemanly." He held his forehead with his right hand, rubbing a headache. "I met with the Hoenn regional council today."

Steven's face was no longer amused. It turned into one of utter annoyance. "Oh. _Them_."

"Yes. _Them_."

"What did they ask for _this_ time?"

"Ugh. Mundane things and stupid property damage bills. Ever since the new house was elected, the new members have been on my case for a relentless three months. They keep trying to pass new bills that give them more power over trainers. It's annoying, considering they've been getting bigger and have access to more funding now."

"Property damage bills?"

"Yeah. Many of the complaints are from farmers on the routes and people who live outside of cities. It's not unlike the norm but the damage estimates are climbing. They're starting to get particularly _nasty_."

"What are you going to do then?"

"What _can_ I do Steven?" Wallace sighed in an exasperated tone. "My hands are tied. I've tried to get them to increase the age requirement for trainers but they just shut the bill down. Over and over and over. It's infuriating. It's like they oppose their own beliefs. Ugh. I wish I had more clout, that way I wouldn't have to deal with fools."

"But you don't. So what do they suggest to do then?"

"They want to ban destructive pokemon," the champion snarled, uncharacteristically vicious for someone like Wallace. He must have been _really_ frustrated.

Steven frowned, "That's complete stupidity. All pokemon can be destructive." Every single pokemon was capable of immense damage. Just ask the poor stadium clean up crews.

"I know. And if we do _that_…then a trainer's freedom would be severely restricted, and the backlash we'd get from the people would tear us apart. But they don't understand that. They aren't pokemon trainers, they don't know what it's like. This society exists because of pokemon trainers. If it wasn't for them, we would still be at war with ourselves." Wallace slammed a fist down on a table below him. He hated the ignorant fools in the council. They understood nothing.

Steven thought about what Wallace had said. _He's right. The pokeball did more than just allow us to bond with pokemon. It changed our entire existence. But…there's always a negative side to it. _Steven knew it was the champion's responsibility to stabilize tensions with the non trainer population. That was partly the reason why the regional council was even founded. It gave the non trainers more of a voice in matters that concerned them _and_ pokemon trainers. _But now…it seems like all they're trying to do is undermine the league and take control. Politics has never been a bed of flowers. It's dirty and ugly. And the champion's responsibility too. _That was partly why Steven quit. He had no time to pursue his passions with all the bickering and headaches of fighting the council and playing politician.

"I don't know what to tell you Wallace. You're going to have to compromise or pull out something reasonable and hope it sticks. Don't give in to them. That would doom trainers everywhere."

"You know I wouldn't do that Steven. I love pokemon. We all do. Every single trainer knows that. To segregate certain pokemon from battling would discourage generations of new trainers and piss off a _stupendous amount_ of existing ones. Maybe even to the point of riot." He smiled sourly. "Heh, I can see why you quit."

Steven nodded. "It's a huge responsibility. Everyone thinks it's easy. It isn't. You spend more time playing the appeasement wagon than actually battling. Not many trainers make it past the elite four. It gets stale quick."

The flamboyant man chuckled. "Well, I'm not going to just let them waltz over me so easily. If push comes to shove, I'll blast them into the ground. If they want a fight, then they should be prepared to get a hydro pump to the face. Hmph!" He hair flipped again.

Steven smirked. "That's the spirit Wallace."

"Quiet, quitter!" Steven raised both hands, acknowledging it.

"Hey, at least I'm actually happy now."

"You find enjoyment in overworking yourself and living off two hours of sleep just to look at rocks under microscopes?"

"Well when you say it like _that_…" Steven scratched the back of his head in embarrassment. Wallace made it sound like the former champion was a hermit. He knew it was true of course, but he didn't like admitting it.

"I'm just teasing Stevey." He clapped his hands together. "Anyway, thank you for being unhelpful. I'll make sure to tell Flannery that you're thinking about her every day and night. She turned redder than a slugma the last time I told her you thought she was beautiful." He grinned from ear to ear.

"You bastard," Steven hissed.

"Hee hee." Wallace covered his mouth with his hand. "Later Steven!"

The hologram faded and Steven was left in his office thoroughly flustered. "That guy. Argh!" He threw himself on the couch again, tapping the table with his foot. The movement caused a small black stone to fall onto the ground. Steven picked it up and placed it back on the table. Steven fell asleep after a few minutes, turning off the TV.

In the dark room, the stone flashed blue.

A helix appeared on the surface before fading a second later.

* * *

Riven wanted to slam his head against the pavement. It had been two weeks of utter and complete garbage. The young man was embittered and resentful of the word 'job'. What was he doing now? Eating a snow cone. It was sweet. It was good. It was red. His brows were furrowed and his glare could kill a small child. Ben sat next to him eating a blue snow cone. He hit his forehead with his right hand hard enough that he left a red handprint on his face.

"Gray. You mean to tell me…that you got fired from FOUR JOBS? In two fucking weeks?"

The other trainer, whose hair was completely black again, bit into his red cone. He came to regret that. The cold stung his teeth and he held his mouth. "Ah, shit. Yes, Ben. I fucking did."

"How is that even possible? HOW DID YOU GET FIRED AS A ROOM SERVICE WAITER? THAT'S LIKE THE EASIEST FUCKING JOB IN THE WORLD. Arceus!" Ben was incredulous. He had never encountered someone that inept. Pokemon trainers were often useless in a variety of domestic work but not to _this_ degree of useless.

Riven groaned, reluctant to recount his room service disaster. "Look. First and foremost, my employer did not have a positive first impression of me."

"Understandable. You look like murder waiting to happen."

"No I don't. You are making false claims," Riven huffed in response.

"Gray. You almost never smile. And when you do, it's more of a I'm-picturing-you-dead-smile. Face it man. You're not a friendly guy." His serious face alone deterred most female trainers, much to Ben's chagrin. He wasn't an ugly guy but he could sure use some lessons in how to fake friendliness. It would help him _keep_ a job at least. Maybe even find a date, the guy looked like he'd never even touched a girl before, much less gotten intimate with one.

"Argh. Fine. Will you let me inform you of my misadventures in the workforce or will you continue criticizing my normal expression?"

"That's your normal face?"

"Yes."

"Arceus protect us if you ever get angry."

Riven shot him a glare. Ben gestured him to continue. "Yes. Well…"

"_Umm. Excuse me. I'd like to apply for a job."_

"_Trainer. I know it. It's written all over your clueless face. You're like a lost growlithe puppy. Can you cook?"_

"_No."_

"_Can you sweep and mop? Make a bed?"_

"_Erm….I've never done that before…"_

"_Can you at least walk and deliver food?"_

"_I suppose…"_

"_Then you're hired. We need more room service waiters. The previous patch of idiot trainers left to Dewford. Now we're short on labor. So, be here tomorrow at seven AM sharp. And before you even think about showing up tomorrow, paint your disgusting hair black. You look like a skuntank poser with that little patch of white. You're not a rebel, stop trying. Now get the hell out, I have a hotel to manage."_

Gray's description of bad first impression was an enormous understatement. The woman HATED him and trainers too it seemed. He could tell from the way she straight up insulted the poor guy. Sure, his hair did make him look like a skuntank cosplayer but that was harsh. "So you dyed your hair? That's why it isn't…you know." Ben waved a finger above his right eye, where the patch would be if he was Gray.

"Yes. I showed up and she threw me into the changing room then immediately got me started. I was drenched in sweat by noon, that lady was relentless. I had to run just to keep up with the demands." He hissed. "Then it was her."

Ben's interest peaked. "Her?"

"Yes. Her."

"Girlfriend? Old acquaintance? Sister? Ex-girlfriend?"

"No to all of those. She was just a random tenant that happened to be a picky dickwad."

"Did you pick up that word from the sailors?"

"Yes and I like it. It has a nice insulting feeling to it."

"Whatever lets you sleep at night."

"Moving along." Riven sighed. "She called me up seven times. Four of those were extra orders, and the other three were complaints about the food." He bit into the snow cone again, not giving a damn whether it stung his teeth or not, he was getting annoyed just thinking about the ordeal. "I had to go back to the cook, tell him what was going on, then go back up to the tenth fucking floor and knock on her door. She called me up for the seventh time and I was beyond simply aggravated." Ben swore he could see steam leaving Gray's nostrils.

"What did you do next?"

"I told her off and called her an entitled piece of shit that should get her own fucking food. I also told her to burn in hell. She complained to the manager and she fired me."

Ben facepalmed again. "You're not supposed to do that! You need to be professional!"

"To hell with professional. That lady was being a cunt. I _hate_ people like that."

"Gray. Working those kinds of jobs, you're going to be running into people like that _all the time_. You just need to deal with it. Or else you're going to be left penniless and just as frustrated."

"I'd rather smash trainers into the ground and take their money." He took another agonizing chomp of his red snow cone. Ben winced every time Gray did that. That couldn't be good for his teeth.

"There's that but you might challenge someone that can wipe the floor with you and then half of _your_ money just went poof." The other guy was still recovering from the cold. "Alright, maybe room service wasn't for you. What else did you get fired from?"

Gray chucked the paper remains of the cold treat into the trash can. "Chef. I set the entire kitchen on fire. Maintenance. I couldn't tend a bed to save my life. And finally, cashier."

"How did you fail at cashier? Can't count or what?"

"The cash register was a fiend from hell."

Ben stayed silent for few seconds. Then slowly bit into his blue cone. After a minute of cold pain, he turned back to Gray. "How did you even get this far? It baffles me how retarded you are with technology. How can you even operate a pokeball?"

"Hey. A pokeball is simple, relatively speaking. It only has a button. A BUTTON BEN. Push it, ball gets bigger. Throw it, pokemon comes out. Push button and hold for five seconds, pokemon returns with red light beam. Push button again and ball shrinks. Easy. Simple. I can do it." Riven scratched his head. "But cash registers…THEY HAVE LIKE FIFTY BUTTONS. I don't even know what one button does!"

"How long did it take you to open the register?"

"I didn't."

"Fucking serious?"

"Yes."

"Arceus lord. You are screwed. You can't operate technology worth a damn, you can't cook in a proper kitchen, you can't fold a bed, you can't even talk to people without scaring them for Arceus sakes! Gray, what _can_ you do?"

"I can fight. That's about it." Riven didn't know much else. He was a soldier, he learned how to survive in the wild and kill other things that wanted him dead. He didn't need to learn how to cook a meal using a fancy kitchen and stove. He didn't learn how to be nice. He learned where the best places to stab someone, how to read the hostility in someone's voice, how to disarm someone before they left you on the ground as a lifeless corpse. He felt like a fish out of water.

"You're hopeless." Ben got an idea. "You know what? Let's forget about this. To the beach!" He wanted to go skirt chasing since he got here and it would probably deter Gray from going on a murderous rampage. Gray nodded, not wanting to dwell on his inability to do anything…civil.

Ben and Riven were now at the Slateport beach, which was found on route 109. A lighthouse overlooked the beach and guided ships into the harbor further ahead. Children, adults, and trainers were scurrying around or relaxing in the sun. Ben was salivating at a group of female trainers a distance away. Riven rolled his eyes. The guy might know more about the world than he did, but he had zero self control, especially when it came to women.

The beach was boring. Riven and his pokemon, excluding his kirlia(he wasn't letting his perverted psychic out here), sat under an umbrella and stared at all the beachgoers. He couldn't properly enjoy himself in the sun because the scyther near Littleroot had left him looking like an overused sword practice dummy. He had scars everywhere. No way was he going to take off his shirt. He would scare everyone off in a second. After Ben had his fun and gathered a few numbers, both men headed back to the pokemon center for some rest.

A couple of days later, after seeing the prices of the translators and getting fired two more times, Riven decided he just about had it with Slateport. He gathered his things and went off to Mauville. He left Ben in Slateport, who wanted to stay a bit longer since he was dating a girl he met on the beach named Madelyne. Riven didn't care if he had to go alone, he could handle himself. Or so he thought.

He was able to get through most of route 110 in one day. Riven was extremely jumpy, and nearly beat another trainer's face in when he jumped out of the bushes to battle. Without his blades, he felt exposed. Vulnerable. Anything could come out of the grass and maul him or worse. His fists wouldn't do shit against a scyther if it came out and attacked him. The entire route he was in a panicked state of mind. He felt hunted and helpless. He didn't walk, only sprinted, feeling rushed and agitated the entire way through. He thought he was going to die.

Now in Mauville, he rushed into the pokemon center and collapsed on the bench, sweating excessively and shaking. The Nurse Joy at the front desk came up to him and asked him what was wrong. He couldn't respond immediately and instead waved his hands in dismissal.

"Hey…are you ok?"

"I-I-I'm…I-I'm fine…" He picked himself up with difficulty and shakily asked for a rental room. A couple of trainers looked at him strangely, like he was something to be avoided. He got angry and his right eye began to sting. He felt like he couldn't breath, couldn't get enough air. His hands were gripping the chair's arms extremely hard. Riven dropped the keys when Joy handed them to him. The trainer stumbled into the residency hall and had trouble steadying his hand to open the door.

He just had an anxiety attack. It happened randomly at times for him, usually when he was out scouting by himself, _weaponless_. It took him hours to fully recover, this time was no different. He stayed locked up in his room until the shock wore off and his senses came back to him. He went into the bathroom and splashed his face with cold water. Tired from all the running, he tried to fall asleep. But it was impossible. The nightmares came full force again. As he forced his eyes shut again and he slipped into a state of unconsciousness, he heard a voice in his head.

_You can't escape Cerul. Shh…don't cry._

_Everything will be just…fine._

* * *

**A/N**

**Something you don't see in the anime or games (manga might elaborate more on this with the gym leader meetings and all) is the role the champion has as a political figurehead. Since basically the entire world is based off pokemon, you would think that the champion is indeed the most powerful person in the region. And with that, he also has to deal with the very real issues of NON POKEMON TRAINERS whose lives do _not_ revolve around pokemon. Naturally, these people wouldn't understand what it's like to actually be a trainer and how important a trainer's pokemon are to them. For a perfect example of this, see Max from the anime in the beginning of the Hoenn season. That kid just doesn't get it. I imagine many other people to be the _exact same way._**


	17. Origins

It was night time in LaRousse City, quiet and peaceful. By this time, most of the visiting trainers were in hotel rooms and an occasional police robot glided by. The Lund Pokemon Research Lab was always busy though. Scientists buzzed around, researching things from pokemon evolution to new technological inventions. The lab always had a faint aroma of coffee from one to many sleep deprived scientists and the lights never went off. The men speculated they were being overworked and underpaid, but they didn't care. This was science…or something. Truth be told, they haven't had anything particularly interesting to work on lately.

_Slam._

Kim slammed a paper down on his table, getting up to go make himself a cup of coffee. His research partner was obviously doing something _other_ than working. The guy was a genius but often got too distracted to get anything productive done. Kim swore Blake had the attention span of a hyperactive plusle.

He was holding a tablet and watching some kind of video. Kim scowled, disapproving of Blake's laziness."Keep staring at that thing and you'll go blind." Blake spent far too much time looking at that thing, he needed to cut it out before his brain turned to scrambled egg.

The other man poked his glasses. "I'm already blind." He also had a knack for smart-ass replies. This didn't earn him very much respect within the lab, even drawing disdain from Professor Lund himself. They didn't dare fire him though, the man was the best at what he did-whenever it was he felt like doing it at least.

"I meant completely, idiot." Kim rolled his eyes, brushing off Blake's stupid little comment. He felt like punching him sometimes, his comments were borderline irritating and since he was practically stuck with him 'till retirement or until he got fired, he had to deal with his shit. Which unfortunately came in droves.

"This is interesting." Blake admitted with wide eyes and lifted brows. He lifted his eyes for a second, looking back at the scowling Kim. "You're going to get wrinkles if you stay angry all the time." He pointed to his own face, still young and smooth. "The key to healthy skin is not to give a crap. It works for me."

"I can see that."

Blake tapped the tablet and paused the video, adjusting himself in his chair. He scratched his nose and stared blankly at Kim. "Besides, there's absolutely nothing to do here." Then he went back to his video, still straight faced.

Kim's scowl lifted, replaced by an expression of faint disinterest. "Can't argue with you there." Blake was right. There _was_ nothing to do. The night shift was always a grind to get through. People were tired and looking at samples through a microscope in the wee hours of the night was never a fulfilling experience. Many of the guys in the lab just used the opportunity to get some sleep or dick around, like Blake. "What are you watching there anyway?"

"Last year's regional conference match," Blake replied, light reflecting off his glasses.

"Which one?" There were many good fights last year, Kim remembered losing about one thousand P-yen on a bet that had gone sour. It was one of the more exciting league conference matches and was pretty much a no-holds-barred fighting type beatdown. It got his blood racing just thinking about it. His wallet definitely missed that cash though.

Blake grinned. "The Dance of Dragons." It was the semi-final round between two trainers, one from Johto and the other from Unova. The battle kept everyone on their seats, at the stadium and at home, people couldn't get enough of it. It was one hell of a match. The views on that match were the highest they'd ever been in the league season last year, it was the most anticipated fight of the league.

"Oh. The Hydreigon vs Dragonite battle?" Kim saw that one too.

"That's the one."

"You remember that dragonbreath clash?"

"Mhmm. Damn near took down the stadium. 'Member the dragon pulse and dark pulse clash later on?"

"Oh, yeah. That was insane. It took like two minutes before the dust cleared. They kept fighting too, until the dragonite ice beamed the hydreigon's wings and sky dropped it for the win."

"Sure did…wonder what it's like though," Blake mentioned, looking at the victor congratulating his worn-out Dragonite while waving at the crowd. He closed the internet tab and switched the tablet off. He peered out the window, it was pretty dark outside. Probably around midnight by the looks of it. A munchlax was trying to get a burger out of a vending machine. It made him chuckle.

"What is?"

"Raising a dragon. I heard they're one of the hardest types to raise, considering you need to respect them and all. Not only that but they eat a lot. Especially when they get bigger." Blake knew that dragons like Salamance ate entire bags of formula. Some of the wild ones actually attacked trainers and miltank farms. Luckily, most of them lived near Meteor Falls and Forina. _Far _from LaRousse. Which was good, considering Rayquaza went on a pride revenge quest a few years ago and caused millions in property damage to the city's infrastructure.

"I have some friends near Mt Chimney that work with dragons. They say that a great deal of patience is needed, and some fireproof clothing. The infants tend to blow things up quite a bit." Kim laughed nervously, having witnessed a baby bagon set fire to an entire house once. It also headbutted his car and left a permanent dent in the side. The insurance company had a field day with that one.

"I would assume so. I heard they're just a little higher on the difficulty scale compared to oh…darks and psychics." Those were difficult types to train. The former because of the attitude and general nastiness that came with them, and the latter because a trainer needed to invest a lot of time into them to earn their trust and admiration.

"Well, they told me that once you earn a dragon's respect, they'll fight with you to the end. Not like darks. They'll double-cross you the first chance they probably get. No wonder most people don't like 'em. Most psychics are tame enough though, they just require emotional investment and positive reinforcement," Kim said while sipping some fresh coffee. The caffeine ran through his system, he felt less dead than usual-but still pretty dead. Being a scientist for professor Lund was mentally taxing at the best of times.

Blake didn't respond. He just turned the tablet back on and searched up other fights. Rhyperior vs Typhlosion, Steelix vs Scizor, Sceptile vs Serperior. All amazingly good fights. Their trainers were top notch and were some of the toughest in the world. Their pokemon were absolute monsters, making craters throughout the arena. He lost interest in the fights themselves and just watched the pokemon spew flames and throw razor sharp leaves around. It made him think.

"Hey Kim."

"Yeah?"

"Ever wonder why pokemon can shoot flames and cause earthquakes? And we can't?"

"That's always been on our minds Blake. We want to know why things aren't a certain way. And if possible, make things better." He was trying to sound purposeful and mystical, it didn't work.

"You're starting to sound like a Rocket," Blake said with a disapproving frown.

"Oh, NO. Don't compare me with those monsters. What they did was inexcusable…if not downright horrible and atrocious. Never put me up on that broken pedestal. I'm glad they were taken care of, who knows what would of happened if they _succeeded_." Kim was burning holes into Blake's skull. He wasn't a mad scientist, he worked to make the world more understandable. He never wanted to be like them. Thinking about gene splicing made every hair on the back of his neck stand on end.

Blake shrugged. "Alright. I get it. You don't want to be compared to them. Me neither. But still, why are we so…" He searched for the word while fidgeting his hands in the air and making faces.

"Normal?"

"Yeah." Blake figured that was the best way to put it. He couldn't find another word to something that meant not special in any _way, shape, or form_.

Kim's brows furrowed. That remained one of the biggest mysteries in the world, it baffled scientists even today. Some people claimed that humans just appeared, but Kim didn't believe that. Any theory proposed was almost always shot full of skepticism and chock full of holes that a solid comprehensive theory was never fully accepted. A myth in Sinnoh apparently claimed that at one point, humans and pokemon were virtually indistinguishable. If it had any merit to it, that supported the fact that they had a simian ancestor who was originally a pokemon.

Blake seemed to read his mind. "You're thinking about the human evolution theory aren't you."

"It's kind of hard _not_ to think about it when you start talking about topics like those."

Blake nodded and went searching through a document cabinet next to him. "I suppose. Hold on, getting something." He spent a couple of minutes wading through the mass of documents in the file cabinet, all scientific papers about the evolution of pokemon and (supposed) human evolution. "Here it is." He threw a paper on the table in front of Kim, published in the Unovan Scientific Journal by Professor Juniper.

"Her pokemon origin paper?" Kim had a quizzical look. "What's so important about it? That paper has been published for years."

"Well, it claims that millions of years ago, treecko-the most common starter given to trainers in Hoenn-hasn't changed very much in genetic structure. It's DNA remains largely the same. The same can be said with all other pokemon. They haven't changed much at all in millions of years. Yet here we are, bipedal, normal and weak. And we change frequently."

"So what you're saying is…in order to evolve like we believe we evolve, we need to have...what?"

"Unstable DNA." It was the only thing that made sense to Blake. Cancers and illnesses were common in humans, a trait that humans shared with almost _nothing_ else. People had highly unstable DNA, that's why appearances and height, weight, skin color, eye color and everything else was all chance. Pokemon had very strict sets of DNA, containing almost no extra junk information-something humans had an abundance of. It was perfectly structured and had nearly no flaws. There were never any mixes, only one pokemon or another. If a zebstrika and a rapidash had eggs, it was either blitzle or ponyta offspring, not a weird electric fire mix. Only one other pokemon fit the bill.

"Like eevee."

"Precisely."

Kim gave Blake a skeptical look. "So in about say a couple million years, there's going to be fox people? You do know how stupid that sounds right?"

"If my guess is true…maybe. And yes, it sounds stupid, but so did pokeballs remember?"

"Argh. Point." Kim's skeptical look didn't dissipate though. "And you're only thinking about this now?" Someone was bound to have thought of this before. Kim was sure that Blake wasn't the first curious mind to put two and two together.

"I've thought about it before but one thing still doesn't make sense."

"Which is?"

"Well, eevee evolve when exposed to some sort of electromagnetic stimulus from evolutionary stones or rocks. We…don't. Imagine the body horror if we did."

Kim did. "Yeah,I can see why that's a problem. Don't want none of that hehe. Growing fish fins is kinda freaky." He shivered. "And when Eevee evolve, their DNA corrects itself. No more flaws. The stones take care of that."

"But…what if…" Blake rested his chin on his palm, thinking rather hard about the topic. His brows were furrowed in concentration and he was staring at the floor. "What if a mutation happened to our ancestors that caused them to evolve differently, or at least retain their genetic information when producing offspring. That way say a…jolteon had offspring with another jolteon, then a jolteon came out. Not an eevee. But still had unstable DNA, only retaining the type code. Then further mutations would allow it to become something else."

"It sounds a bit implausible but it's a good if not ridiculous guess. But if that did in fact happen, why aren't we…elemental and stuff?"

"I don't know. That's what bothers me." Blake placed a hand on his forehead. "Losing our typing would be fatal. Even if we had the drive and motivation to use tools, we needed the typing to even stand a chance, otherwise…we'd get ripped to shreds."

Kim was about to say something when Blake cut him off, continuing his scientific tangent.

"And if we were pokemon, why are we so damn weak? Our cells don't even regenerate at the same rate. Imagine if we could use rapid recovery technology like pokemon? Shit, a cut would heal in minutes and brain damage would be a thing of the past. And our bones aren't nearly as hard." He paused to catch his breath. "And then there's the fact that most pokemon exhibit human-like intelligence, so there goes the sacrifice typing for brains theory. The only thing pokemon lack is the drive to advance further, they don't see a need. We do, that's why most of them haven't risen and crushed us yet."

Kim was dubious. "It sounds counter-intuitive to do so. I mean, it goes against what evolution would theoretically be like. Typing isn't a liability. Or hardness of bones. Why would we get weaker just so we could build things?" Kim didn't have an answer for Blake, but he did bring up important points.

"Kim, what are the oldest human remains we've found? Up to date," Blake asked, completely serious now. Oh, the man was in serious get shit done mode. If only he worked this hard every day.

"About four hundred thousand years. Give or take a few." He didn't understand why that was important though. It seemed totally unrelated. Maybe he was just shooting the tauros at this point. Who knew? Blake's mind was a bag full of skitty.

"We've read about hundreds of excavations at Sinnoh, all rocks and pokemon fossils. But absolutely no human remains, even though there _should_ be." The rocks in Sinnoh were some of the oldest in the known world, some going back billions of years. There was a reason it was called the 'cradle of life'. Yet no other human remains had been found prior to 400000 years ago. That was odd. Very odd.

"Yeah. It's really strange." Kim shrugged and finished his coffee, which was cold at this point. Blake was still in a hardcore think tank mode, it was hard to dislodge him once he was this dug in. But…all of Blake's points were moot if they didn't have any concrete proof of his eevee-esque evolution theory. "Unless you have proof of your theory, it ain't going anywhere though."

"I know, but I need to look at an eevee's DNA. Might give me more insight. I feel good about this one."

Kim raised a brow. Eevee's themselves were rare, finding one in the wild was next to impossible and Lund didn't like spending unnecessary funds on buying a pokemon from some uptight pokemon breeder for a wacky theory one of his scientists came up with. "They're too expensive. Unless you want to capture one yourself. But you're no trainer."

"Maybe we can ask someone for one?"

"Not many trainers bring unevolved eevee kits here Blake. They come here to battle. Your best bet would be the daycare near Mauville. But even then, the eon line is rare. Breeders usually got them, but they're…a damn fortune to say the least. They're a bit more common in Johto, but not all that much."

"Shit. I thought I was on to something too."

"You might just stumble across something never before seen. Then we'd really be in for a surprise. But I doubt it. Your theory is ridiculous."

"Kim. You are an ass. Can you ever see the positive side in things?"

"I thought positive once. It was disappointing."

"Whatever, you're still an asshole."

"Pretty much, I won't deny it." Kim put his mug back up to his mouth and drank more of the caffeinated drink. "That doesn't change the fact that your hypothesis is far from sensible. But that's none of my business, it's your scientific credibility on the line. Fuck this up and you will never be taken seriously again."

Blake stared out the window, eyes tracing the illuminated Battle Tower in the distance. _Eevee huh. Maybe I can…_ He got an idea. "I'm going to hire a trainer to catch an eevee and bring it to me."

Kim stared blankly at Blake. "Because apparently you can shit gold right." The trainer would probably be just as likely to keep it or sell it to some collector for big bucks. Eevees were way to rare to just give away and the stones to evolve them? Even more so.

Blake caught Kim's look."Argh…most trainers are brainless and will do anything for money. I could probably get one to catch an eevee for a low price. You've seen how these trainers are. They'd follow a creepy man into a white van if he promised them something."

Kim thought about that for a second. "Sadly, that's very true. Makes you think why we let them prance around on their own." Most trainers _were_ stupid. Considering most of them left home at ten, they weren't skilled in real world craftiness, and were conned frequently. Kim wiped some coffee off his coat. "I don't know, whatever suits you Blake. I'll just let you know now that I don't believe a word of your crazy idea. It's too unlikely. And you better pick a trainer you can afford crossing, some of them are dangerous. Sinnoh showed us that _very _well."

"I know. But as long as it's not impossible, I don't care." It was a start. And if he was right, that meant an award. That would shut up all those who scorned him, and even get him some respect from Lund and become a world renowned scientist. Risks were worth it. His genius would come into the light and he would be the greatest in the world. Then maybe he'd move out of this stupid lab and set up his own. Wouldn't that be something."On second thought, I don't have any money."

Kim facepalmed. "Even though you're a genius, you're still an idiot." He shook his head and lifted the cup to drink again. Blake tipped it over with his hand, causing Kim to spill all over himself. He turned and left out the door, smiling smugly.

"Son of a bitch."

* * *

**Going to be uploading shorter chapters from now on. Makes revising and proofreading easier. Well, maybe.**


	18. Shock and Awe

Riven remained in a deep sleep, tossing and turning, beads of perspiration running down his face. His heart was racing and his breathing was ragged and strained. He wasn't dreaming anymore. Riven no longer saw the other staring back at him, covered in a pool of blood with a smile that could only belong to a demon. His not-self's red eye staring directly at him before fading away.

Now he was on the floor amidst shouting and explosions of flame and lightning. He picked himself up, scanning the scene in a daze. He was in the plains somewhere, watching as Rose troops rode in on rapidash, shooting flame tipped arrows over to his side. A memory, a flashback. It was a battle. It couldn't be anything else. He recognized the place.

_Nimva Plains. Why did it have to be here?_

He woke up screaming, holding his chest and feeling an unbearable burning in his right eye. Riven was panting, gulping for air. For what seemed like an eternal five minutes, he stared at the door while rubbing his face raw. Riven was on edge still, every sound only served to make him jump. He was unable to go back to sleep. Instead, he paced around the dark room over and over again in a restless trance.

The sun rose and he left his room, going to the kitchens to get something to eat. He stared at everyone around him, ready for someone to come up and attack him, but no such thing happened. Riven ordered his usual pancakes with pecha jam on them, but they weren't like they usually were. They tasted dull and stale, no flavor, no sweet fulfilling taste. He ate on instinct while staring at the wall, only to jump when Nurse Joy called out to him.

"Are you okay? You came into the pokemon center last night a nervous wreck. What happened to you?" Her features were not joyful or optimistic, but worried and scared. She looked uncomfortable and hesitated to speak to him.

Riven didn't know how to respond, he stared at Joy for a minute, unable to form words. Her face grew more concerned and she waved at hand in front of him. He snapped his attention back towards her and stuttered, "F-fine."

Joy noticed his pale complexion and heavy breaths."You don't look well at all. Maybe you should go to the hos-"

"NO!" Riven shouted, moments later noticing the eyes of everyone in the dining area. His anger subsided."I'm sorry...no hospital." Joy nodded and walked away, she swore she felt something malicious about the boy's irritated outburst. Trainers exchanged whispers and barely audible murmurs about him, discussing his strange behavior last night. He ignored them and walked outside. Unable to soothe his nerves, he retreated to a cluster of trees and exercised excessively, until his arms and legs couldn't handle it.

Riven sat down near a tree, hair flowing with the wind. _I don't feel like doing anything. Should I be doing something? But what? _He remained under the tree until the afternoon, nothing feeling correct or enjoyable. He challenged the gym leader and lost very quickly. His reactions were delayed, his senses distracted, he couldn't think of any strategies. His attempts to attack were pitiful and poorly thought out.

Leaving the gym, Riven didn't feel sad or disappointed. He just continued walking. He got to the pokemon center and tried to fall asleep, but still couldn't. This lasted three days. On the fourth day, Wattson stopped him.

"Son. What are you doing? You need to stop this. I'm not going to accept your challenge until you get better. You look terrible, have you slept these past three days?" The boy had dark bags under his eyes, he always looked lost and seemed to clench and unclench his fists constantly. He also ignored almost everything, from conversation to things like loss. It was starting to worry the old man. Trainers were usually frustrated or very vocal about losing three times in a row, never this nonchalant.

The boy shook his head after a few seconds.

"Come here. You're not leaving this gym until you straighten out. This doesn't look healthy. Laughter is healthy, you look like the opposite of that!" He pulled the boy closer. "So, what's got you like this?"

"Can't sleep. Nightmares."

"What happened to you?"

"I don't know. Hard to remember." In truth, Riven didn't want to think about it. Nimva Plains was hell. He had passed out and woke up the next day, hearing that they managed to beat the Rose and Liran troops back. Then the medics pulled out the arrows. He remembered screaming until his throat burned.

Wattson spent the next few days talking to the teen in between gym battles from other trainers. He also watched the boy speak to someone on a holo caster, a Samuel. His attitude improved by heaps and bounds and was actually responsive. He looked at the battles regularly and he even snickered when a female mightyena used attract on his manectric. The boy-who called himself Gray-was a mannered individual who was a bit tight-lipped but very calm. That struck Wattson as odd, comparing the Gray from a few nights before and the one chuckling in front of him now, it was as if they were two different people. The old man was just glad the kid had lightened up.

"Do you know what happened to you now?" The old gym leader asked, watching Gray clean up the gym after Wattson's recent match. He was paying the guy to help him, he felt bad about beating him three times in a row and taking most of his money.

"Petalburg," Riven blankly stated, sweeping some rubble out of the way into a pan. He didn't want to share guilt and horror experiences just yet. Besides, no one would ever believe him. He used Petalburg as an excuse to avoid talking about the real thing that bothered him.

Wattson's face fell, the trainer clearly meant the Petalburg Contest that went awry. It shook the entire region, scaring coordinators off left and right. The government and the media were still in a frenzy over it, resulting in_ another_ gym leader meeting to be scheduled in Lilycove. Wattson figured this boy must have been _right_ there. The police had been unable to make the captured men talk, much to the frustration of both the league and council.

"Did you see what happened?"

"I think?" Riven still saw the images in his mind, the experience was disturbing. But it didn't hold a candle to some of the things he had seen in his own time. The part that disturbed him was that he reveled in satisfaction every time his fist connected with that man's face, and he didn't feel like stopping. Even though he had told the detective that he did what he had to, he knew that he didn't have to kill them. It did make it easier though. However, to protect his identity, Riven pretended not to remember."What happened?"

Wattson didn't know how to tell this kid what happened. He thought that the boy must have developed some kind of trauma from the event, he didn't want him to regress back to his original state. "Oh, nothing. Just something…unusual. Don't worry about it haha!" He felt bad about lying to the boy, but it was for his own good.

"Ah. Alright then. Tomorrow I want to challenge again," the black haired boy stated calmly. The gym leader sighed in relief. He was glad that the young man didn't press the matter further.

"HO HO HO HO! Don't hold back on me ya hear? I want to have a good time on this one, none of that depressing show you had me on for a few days. Laugh, smile, have fun!" The jolly old timer placed his hands on his large belly and released his loud trademark laugh.

Riven nodded with a slight smile. "Unless you call getting half your money taken from you fun, I'm bringing it all." Wattson continued chuckling heartedly, holding his belly. Returning to the center, Riven greeted Nurse Joy-who also noticed his improvement-before heading off to bed. He was able to sleep soundly with the help of some sleeping pills Joy had given him.

The next day he was holding a Dynamo Badge and grinning rather smugly at Wattson. He held out his hand and the old man forked over a few bills with corphishes on them. Four thousand. Almost enough to replace what he had lost.

Aine had destroyed his magneton and saved her flamethrower for his magnezone, who fainted in one hit. The electric leader's voltorb then used an explosion attack to knock out Riven's combusken. Then he sent out Mischief, who won Wattson's manectric with a well placed point blank psychic followed by two confusions. His kirlia was getting rather fond of teleporting to confuse his opponents, he was definitely faster now. Although, he couldn't quite deflect lightning yet. Oh, and he got paralyzed again. Mischief was going to chuck a boulder at Riven if he kept getting him paralyzed, burned or poisoned.

"I didn't think you'd be so different when you got your head on straight," Wattson chuckled, surprised by the trainer's ability. Considering he beat the kid three times before, it was startling to see him completely thrash his team. "I'll say, you're definitely better off when you're calm. You're also kind of intimidating, has anyone ever told you that?"

Riven counted his money. "Not a day goes by when someone doesn't tell me that." Wattson beamed and laughed again, with a jolliness only that man could pull off. Riven's smile faded into a thin line. "Wattson, thank you."

"For what?" Wattson asked, stroking his white beard. Riven wondered if he'd do that when he got old. Beards made people look wise, he had to try it sometime.

"For helping me, I guess."

"I'm a gym leader! It's what I do. If it weren't for us, who'd look after miserable trainers like you?" He reeled back in laughter again. "Just kidding, ho ho! But seriously."

Riven wore a blank expression, but it quickly lifted into a slight smile. "You're too cheerful. I thought old men were supposed to be sour?"

"Making fun of my age huh? Laughter is what's kept me this cheerful! If you don't laugh more, you'll end up with white hairs before you know it!"

Riven frowned. _Too late for that._ Soon, the paint would wear off and his white patch would come back again. Then it was back to being called an old fart by snotty nosed brats like Elu. He didn't enjoy that, even if he was technically older than everyone he had met so far. "I'll pop back in for another challenge some time, old man. I appreciated your help none the less."

"Bye kiddo! Oh and have this, you can teach it to that kirlia you got there." He handed over a yellow disk case, _TM # 24: Thunderbolt_.

Riven did a mental handstand and accepted the free TM. _Free moves are always encouraged_, he thought. It would be useful for Mischief to learn something _other_ than a psychic move. More type coverage was better anyway. He was about to leave when he remembered something. "Wattson."

The gym leader turned around, "Yes?"

"Do you know where a girl named Amy lives? She's supposed to live here somewhere."

"Ye high?" He lifted his hand up to his mouth. Gray nodded. "Blonde hair? Really pretty? Green eyes? Kind of obnoxious?" Gray nodded to all of those. "Amy Baer! I know her! She brought in a boy scared half to death in here the other day. She lives near the outskirts of Mauville, up near route 117. You know her?"

"I met her near Oldale. She said she would be here when we parted ways in Petalburg. I just want to thank her for buying me food when I didn't have money. Just a friendly visit before I head north."

"Oh. I thought you were looking to ask her out on a date or something. She's around your age, you should think about it wahaha!"

Riven paled. "I don't think so…uh…I'll be going now." He hastily left the gym, setting off a trap and shocking himself. "Gah!"

Wattson hollered. Young trainers were always good to see, even if this one was a bit older than most. The old man had high hopes for every trainer that beat him. He smiled and then scratched his head.

"Hmmmm…now whose going to clean my gym?"

* * *

Riven walked up to a comfortable looking home with a well-maintained garden and a porch swing in the front. A sitrus berry tree stood to the left of the porch, recently picked clean. He cleared his throat and knocked firmly on the white door to the home. A middle-aged woman who looked surprisingly youthful answered the door, her blonde hair exactly the same color as Amy's. However, her eyes were hazel, not jade colored like her daughter.

The woman saw him and looked confused. "Umm…hello?" He looked pretty casual, despite his questionable looking face. She noticed a belt that contained small red and white spheres. He was a pokemon trainer. Who else would knock at their door? The mailman?

"Hello. Does an Amy Baer live here?" Riven asked politely, he didn't want to make a bad impression on Amy's mother. He already made enough of those.

Her eyes grew curious. "Oh yeah. I'm her mom, Irene. And you are?" She'd never seen this boy before, then again, she had never seen Seab either. But this boy was older and had a more ragged look to him, his right eye was covered and his expression was blank. She could tell that he had a lot buried under that expressionless mask, they always did. Her husband always said, _beware the quiet ones_.

"My name is Gray."

"Oh. Gray huh. Well, she was here a couple days ago but left for Lavaridge with a Sinnohan trainer named Seab. Maybe she's still there," Amy's mother said, feeling bad about having to relay disappointing news to the boy, who probably came a long way just to see her daughter. Her eyes narrowed and she grew suspicious. "Hmmmmm…you're not her secretive boyfriend are you? I can imagine my daughter sneaking off with another trainer and not telling me about it."

Riven's face contorted in horror. "NO. I'm not her boyfriend. She is just a friend. Nothing more, nothing less." Irene picked up no trace of dishonesty in his voice. He apparently had no sense of guile.

Her eyes were still narrowed-then dropped her Sherlock investigation face. "Ok, I believe you, I was just teasing. You need to lighten up," Irene suggested with a sly smirk. The trainer's left lip lifted slightly. She had a feeling people told him that often. "Since you're a friend of Amy's, do you want to come in?"

"I don't think that's necessary unless you erm…want me to?" Riven responded, gulping slightly. Why did this feel more like stepping into the interrogation room and not into a house?

"Just get in dammit." Irene pushed him inside. "You trainers are always so jumpy! It's not like I'm going to kill you! That's a wild pokemon's job!" Riven nervously chuckled.

_She has no idea. Wild pokemon are vicious in these parts. Especially that little electrike near the bridge._ That one was particularly vicious. He was passing through the underside of the bridge when this green pokemon shocked him. It growled at him to leave-which he did, lest it shock him further.

Riven was shoved inside, the living room smelled faintly of vanilla and everything was neatly organized and clean. A flat screen television was in the center, atop a wardrobe. Three couches were aligned to face the television a few steps away, a computer sat in the corner of the room. This was a modern home. It looked warm and inviting. Riven had only ever been in the rental rooms in pokemon centers and very briefly in a hotel room, he never had a chance to see a regular home. It looked serene and relaxing, a sharp contrast to the occasionally hectic and active lifestyle of a trainer. He sat down on the couch, feeling a little awkward in Amy's house.

"So! You're a pokemon trainer?" Irene asked. She knew it was rhetorical question but asked anyway, it was pretty much small talk. It didn't matter, as long as it started a conversation.

"That's correct," Gray replied. He was looking around the living room, studying some of the paintings and artwork nailed to the walls. They were paintings of the surrounding wildlife and there were portraits of several pokemon. One was of a swablu, most likely Amy's, and another of an irritated and very familiar electrike. Riven pointed to it and asked, "Is that one of the electrike under the bridge?" He held a face of disdain and disapproval.

Irene nodded and began to laugh, holding her sides. "He shocked you didn't he!" The look on the trainer's face said it all. "HAHAHAHAH! He did!" She was kicking her legs out, now breathless from laughing. Riven sat there with an impassive face.

_First Ben, and now this. Wonderful._ He nodded in embarrassed acceptance. Wild pokemon didn't like him and most people it seemed. They never did. He couldn't recall any time when he _didn't_ get attacked by something. Even _before _he got launched into the future. It was always bug pokemon or a pack of angry fearow, or huge dogs that wanted to turn him into a fine pile of ash. Of course he could fend them off with his weapons but since they were currently hanging out with tentacruel at the bottom of the sea, he couldn't exactly _do_ that.

Irene stopped her giggling fit and calmed down a bit, wiping a tear from her eye. "I'm sorry, it's just hilarious. He shocks nearly everyone. I had to take two thundershocks from him before he sat still and let me paint him."

Riven studied the portrait. "You're very skilled. It looks exactly like that sour _thing_." He made a face at it, unintentionally mocking the painting. This made Irene burst out into another giggle fit.

"You're so silly! Even though you look so serious." She started laughing again, covering her mouth with a pale hand.

_Definitely Amy's mother_. _She is exactly like her._"Why thank you," he replied, sounding a little salty. So he looked a little rough, so did nearly every other trainer who spent most of their time out in the wild. _Not all of us are city dwellers._

She stopped laughing and smiled instead. "That one is Grumpy." Riven raised a brow. "That's what some people call him, considering he's always so grouchy and territorial. I call him Grum though."

"Is he wild?"

"Mhmm." She assumed he was thirsty or hungry, maybe both. "You want anything? We have oran juice if you want some."

"Oh, uh…sure." He assumed oran was another berry. Hopefully it wasn't spicy. Wait. What kind of evil monster made spicy drinks? He always thought that the Rose clan drank boiling blood and spicy alcohol. They were evil enough, and they loved fire. If anyone ever made an evil drink that was disgustingly spicy, it would be them. Irene looked harmless enough.

_But it's the harmless ones you need to watch out for_. That was his paranoia talking. He crushed it with a mental fist.

Irene came back a minute later with a glass of some orange liquid. She set it down in front of the table and watched him taste test it. "It doesn't have poison in it. A little paranoid aren't you?"

Riven nearly choked. "I didn't mean to assume!" He sputtered, unsure whether he offended her with his erm…habits. One never knew.

"It's alright you silly boy, just drink up."

"Sorry, habits."

"Did you grow up in Kanto with those ninjas by any chance?"

"NINJAS?" Riven couldn't believe what he'd heard. The tales were true! Ninjas existed! Those sailors weren't all full of shit after all.

"Yes. Ninjas. They're in Kanto along with all that other old martial arts stuff they have going on. Most of them are poison specialists, you look dangerous enough to pass. And since you're taste-testing _juice_, I assumed they trained you too," Irene sneered, gesturing him to continue drinking.

Riven finished his juice, which tasted similar to Sitrus berry juice. He guessed that they both had a well-rounded flavor. He shivered thinking about cheri berries-those pignite ribs taught him the pains of spicy food. _Spicy equals no. Unless I want to take more painful trips to the restroom_.

"So, did it taste like poison?" Irene asked smugly. She reminded him of a grown up Amy, it was scary.

"Erm..no. It was good. I was half expecting it to taste spicy," Riven admitted, getting a little red in the face.

Irene stared at him before breaking into another laugh. "Are you sure you're not related to Wattson?" Riven asked, amazed at how this woman could laugh so much. It was like Wattson the second.

"That tough old coot? Oh no, his jolliness is infectious. Just being around him makes you happier. Then you can't stop giggling."

"I worked with him for a week and a half," Riven deadpanned. His face was completely devoid of happiness.

Irene's happy aura fell apart."Well, you must be immune. Are you even capable of laughter?"

"I did laugh."

"How many times?"

"Once."

Irene gave him a look. Riven faked a laugh. "That was pathetic, Gray." Well, he tried. "Let me see your pokemon then. Amy didn't let me see Seab's before she took off. So I get to see yours." She crossed her hands, and glared at him. She did that juice offering on purpose. Show hospitality and guilt him into doing what she said, within reason. Smart move.

Riven grumbled, realizing she played him. She was better at it than Amy, that was sure."Alright." He took out three pokeballs and enlarged them before releasing his team. They appeared and Irene's eyes became as wide as saucers. White Queen barely opened her eyes before her face was stuffed into a fluff of blonde hair. She stiffened and she couldn't help but sniff the woman's hair. She smelled familiar, like the human girl Riven had met a while ago.

"OH MY GOD! Your absol is gorgeous! My house might combust randomly because you showed up with an absol but oh Arceus, she's beautiful!" Irene was fawning and squealing over White Queen. Riven, Mischief, and Aine exchanged utterly stupefied glances. Mischief held his hand up to his head and started making spinning motions while his mouth was shaped like an O. Riven snickered and Irene glared at him. He promptly smothered it and switched back to his blank face. He dodged that one.

She finally let go of Riven's absol and started freaking out over Aine's feathers. "So soft and warm! I bet she's a comfortable heater when it gets cold isn't she?"

"I don't use her as a pillow…"

She poked Aine's legs, gasping. "Her legs are so strong too! She's gonna be a strong Blaziken when she evolves!" Aine cried happily, puffing out a lick of flame. It singed a bit of the blonde woman's hair.

"Ummm…sorry about that," Riven apologized, Aine had a habit of shooting out fire when she got excited, which was unfortunately _all the damn time_. He already had to reimburse the shop in Slateport for burning one of their tables into ash. Seven hundred good, _usable_, P-yen gone.

Irene turned her gaze towards Mischief. "Oh a Kirlia! She's so cute!" Riven couldn't. He broke out into hysteria, he caught Mischief's irritated look and his laughing became howling. Irene smiled as the trainer rolled around on the couch, laughing himself to death. It was a nice change from his blank stare.

"Oh!" He breathed in deeply. "She called you a girl! HAHAHA!" His kirlia threw a cushion at his head, muffling his laughter. Irene waited until Gray regained his composure before she decided to ask him what his pokemon's names were.

"Ah…" He sniffled one last time. "The absol is called White Queen, the Combusken is Aine, and that's Mischief." He gave a disapproving scowl to his kirlia, who was currently burying his head in between Irene's chest. She gently lifted the psychic off her lap and onto the floor, he looked disappointed.

"I can see why you named him Mischief. Why did you name that beautiful absol White Queen though?" It was peculiar to give titles as names for pokemon, usually trainers named their pokemon something simple and short, like Ky or Iki. Aine was reasonable enough though. Certainly strange but reasonable.

"Because she has an ego large enough to put a mountain to shame." Mischief snorted, causing White Queen to turn around and headbutt Riven in the stomach. "Gah…and she's violent." She tackled him again. Irene only giggled. Trainers were fun to watch, each and every one of them had their quirks. Even her impulsive Amy. Which brought up another point.

"How did you and Amy meet?"

"She tried to blackmail me," the trainer stated.

"SHE WHAT?"

"She tried to report me to the Petalburg rangers for killing a furret unless I gave her some."

"MY GOD! MY BABY IS LEARNING!" Err…what? He_ did _just tell her that her daughter was turning into a con-woman. Something smelled odd here. Most parents would be appalled and or losing their shit. Riven was not expecting _this_.

"You're happy?"

"Well, yes! That shows me that she isn't so gullible and impulsive after all!" The blonde woman jumped for joy.

"You're a strange parent."

Irene held a scolding finger up."Only cautious. I don't want her getting murdered like those poor kids in Sinnoh. Savages are roaming around in that country, even if they got rid of most of them by now."

Riven scratched his nose. Everyone kept talking about Sinnoh even though he personally didn't give rattata's ass what happened there. He shrugged and gave up on the subject, he had come from a place probably ten times as worse. "Well, it didn't work. She made me lose the furret to a pack of mightyena she alerted with her shrieking."

Irene sighed, her daughter still had a ways to go it seemed.

Riven looked outside the window, it was nearly dusk. He stood up and returned his pokemon. Aine waved good bye to Irene before being sucked in. "I need to go now, Mrs. Baer. The sun is setting and I want to leave Mauville early tomorrow. I should be heading back. And where can I get a bike? My feet have been trying to murder me recently."

"Central Mauville. Look for Rydell's bicycles." He bowed in thanks. "Bye-bye Gray. If you find my daughter, tell her I miss her and to drop by soon ok?"

"Gladly, Mrs. Baer."

"Please, stop the Mrs. Baer business. You're making me feel old," She joked, rolling her eyes.

Riven smirked. _I'm the ancient one here, heh._ He stepped outside and looked at the bridge in the distance. He was going to dread getting shocked again. Stupid electrike. Why did it have to be so aggressive? _Might as well, I can take a few shocks._ He gathered his courage and stepped off the porch, then instantly stopped when he saw yellow sparks light up the bridge. Grumpy was shooting sparks everywhere. Charles said that electrike spark when storms approached. He slowly glanced upwards, thunderclouds were beginning to form overhead. There _was_ a storm coming. _On second thought, I should just stay away_. Electric pokemon were lightning fodder, he didn't want to get a lightning bolt from the heavens to end his journey abruptly. That would suck. He did an about-face and knocked on Irene's door.

"Oh, you're back. That didn't take long," She commented, noticing the black thunderclouds overhead. "I can see why. Come in, we get storms like that a lot. It isn't safe when Grumpy is near the bridge, or any electric pokemon for that matter. You might get hit and then just like that, we're short another trainer. Cleaning blackened corpses off the ground isn't fun you know."

"I would never have guessed," Riven snarked.

"I can leave you outside," Irene countered.

"No, that's alright. You don't have to do that." Riven shifted his eyes to the sides, trying not to irritate Irene. Sleeping in the rain wasn't pleasant, _especially_ with the eminent fear of cloud to ground lightning fueled death.

"Just come in." She broke into a grin. "LEMME SEE THAT ABSOL AGAIN!" Her eyes flashed and she cackled evilly.

Riven sighed and fed White Queen to Amy's mother. Better her than him. Irene led him to the guest room, which had cream 'qualot' colored walls and a decently sized bed. It was better than the rental rooms at least. Another day rent free would do good for his funds. He nearly melted into the mattress, which seemed to sink with him. _Oh, this is…good_. Aine and Mischief gave in to drowsiness in under five minutes. This was heaven compared to those beds in the rental rooms.

He felt good. No bad dreams, no paranoia, it was great. He savored it, because he had a daunting feeling that he wouldn't have a chance to enjoy it again any time soon. He always had this feeling before things went unbelievably south. It was just a matter of _when_ and _how bad_.

_Oh well, I'll deal with it when it comes, assuming it doesn't kill me first._ He slipped into a deep and relaxing sleep, hearing only faint claps of thunder and the calming sound of running water.


	19. Stranded

Riven was sprawled out on the bed, mouth hanging open, snoring lightly. Mischief was to his left, Aine had fallen to the floor in the middle of the night but didn't wake up. Riven groaned when he felt something fluffy against his right hand. "Uhhhh…is….go…away." He moved his hand in a swatting motion. The fluffiness retreated for a moment, only to return once again. He felt a light breathing on his right hand. Then he swatted it away, hitting something.

White Queen was at the foot of the bed, trying to wake up her stupid human. She appeared to be annoyed. Well, it was common for her anyway but she was still annoyed. She tried the gentle approach but Riven just swatted her nose away. Narrowing her eyes, she called out to him. "Absol." No response. She tried again, this time louder. "Absol." Nothing. She got fed up and drew in a breath. "ABSOL!" An ice beam accidentally hit a lamp in the background and froze it, which fell over and shattered.

"WHAT THE FU-" Riven's heart jumped in his chest. That shattering sound scared him straight out of his sleep and he flailed around like a magikarp before falling right off the bed, crashing down into Aine. He recovered and stood up, looking down at the broken lamp, covered in ice. Riven turned his scowl back to the right side of the bed and saw guilty red eyes staring back at him. His absol looked like a stantler caught in the headlights. "I'm going to have to pay for that aren't I? But I'm up, just like you wanted. For hell's sake, White Queen. Can't you ever try waking me up in a way that doesn't hurt me directly or indirectly?"

She buried her head in her paws. White Queen then tugged on his pants with her teeth. She was pulling him towards something, probably something she wanted him to see. He rubbed morning grogginess out of his eyes, then stretched and yawned loudly. "Want to show me something?" She tugged harder. "Alright. Slow down. I'm coming." She led him over to the living room, where a canvas sat in the middle of the room. He looked at the painting.

It was a portrait of his absol. Irene painted her on a rock, looking towards a setting sun, all regal and dignified. Riven quickly saw why White Queen liked it so much. She struck the pose in the picture, which drew a snort from her trainer. "So that's what you and Irene were doing last night." Then he noticed a foot. He stepped to the side and peered behind the canvas. Irene was sleeping peacefully on the floor, still holding some brushes. She had an apron on that was smeared with paint. Riven wasn't sure whether to nudge her awake or carry her to her bedroom.

Carrying her to her room would be awkward. This was Amy's mom, that was like…taboo. It would be very, very hard to explain if her husband walked in suddenly. Things like that tended to happen at the most inopportune of moments for some odd inexplicable reason. Instead, he left her on the floor. Riven took out some food for his pokemon and served them their formula. As for him, he nibbled on a piece of dried meat and some bread he bought in the market some time ago. He was afraid to dig through Irene's kitchen. He remembered how he set the kitchen on fire in Slateport. That was a proper disaster, which would also then bring some truth to her joke about her kitchen and house spontaneously combusting if he repeated it. And his wallet would definitely _not_ be laughing after he saw the bill.

Just as he was about to finish his last piece of meat, Irene woke up. Riven was on the couch next to her, lazily chewing on a piece of meat like a run of the mill miltank."You're finally up. Overworked yourself there didn't you?" Irene stared at him before realizing how disheveled and unkempt she looked. Her face turned tamato red and she shot up on her feet.

"OH I'M SORRY! YOU MUST BE SO HUNGRY! I'LL MAKE YOU SOMETHING…JUST LET ME GET FIXED UP. I LOOK LIKE CRAP!" She stormed off into her room. She came back a few minutes later, looking a bit more presentable. Women sure loved to look their best. Men didn't really give a damn. Most of the male trainers Riven saw at the pokemon centers woke up with bed hair and stayed that way. The girls were the only ones who didn't look like they wrestled with the sheets. Riven's hair was always straight down, it was really low maintenance, which was good since he didn't have to worry about fixing it so much. Not that he would bother much anyway.

Irene yawned and started cooking something. Riven stood behind her, curiously watching her cook. He wanted to learn, so he wouldn't set another kitchen on fire the next time he tried his hand at any sort of culinary endeavor. It wasn't that bad, or so he originally thought. All he did was put aluminum foil inside this microwave thing, that didn't mean it had to go and _explode_. How was he supposed to know that it would explode if he did that, he pushed some buttons and then KABLOOM. Not his fault, nobody told him_ not_ to do that!

Meanwhile he was reminiscing about his abysmal attempts at civilian employment, Irene was starting to get uncomfortable. "Gray. Can you not stand behind me? It gets me nervous. Amy does it all the time, I don't need you doing it too." She poked him with a finger in the chest, he was a bit bony.

"Oh. Of course." He stepped away and sat down at the table instead, twiddling his thumbs. He didn't have anything to do, so he resorted to rolling around White Queen's pokeball on the table while he watched her admire herself in the painting. The food was ready some time later, he stared at it like a hungry houndour. "What is it?" It looked good, but he never had it before.

Irene looked confused, what kind of child didn't recognize egg when it stared at him in the face? "Scrambled egg and buttered bread. Never tried it before?" He shook his head. "Have you been living under a geodude your whole life?" She crossed her arms, giving Riven an incredulous stare.

"Yes," he replied in a condescending tone.

"Really?" Irene tried not to smirk.

Riven's glare could pierce steel.

Irene chuckled. She was pulling his leg, he was so serious that it was essentially impossible not to mess with him. Irene could just imagine what kind of conversations he had with Amy. Or lack of conversation. That girl was a motor mouth at the best of times. She giggled thinking about it.

"What's so funny?" He asked.

"Oh nothing, just thinking about something highly unlikely."

Gray shrugged and started to eat. He was glad he was eating something other than dried meat, it got old quickly. He finished his plate in minutes; in fact, it took more time for Irene to make it than for him to devour it. He was embarrassed to ask for more, he wasn't even half satisfied. Irene gently flicked him on the head.

"You can ask for more. I can tell you're hungry, besides, you're not a ten year old boy. You need more calories than a little egg and bread. Don't be afraid to ask ok?" Sheesh, it was like talking to one of Amy's friends back when she was still in school. Gray didn't seem familiar talking to other people at all. He was awkward and stiff, like he hadn't spoken to a girl in a very, very, long time. Or possibly ever. She muttered "boys" under her breath and shook her head.

"Thank you." Irene was very motherly, even though she still looked very young for her age. It was something Riven never experienced with his mother, she was always too busy to deal with him, or he was always caught up in lessons. He grimaced, he never really spent much time with his parents now that he thought about it. The thought was depressing. Riven shook his head, he didn't want to think about that right now. It didn't matter.

He talked with Irene for some time, then left around noon to go buy a bicycle. As pleasant as Irene was, he had to continue on. He did promise to check up on Amy though, and that he'd return for a full portrait with him and his pokemon. She hugged him good-bye and Riven couldn't help but smile. If only he had this as a kid, then maybe he would have turned out differently. But the world was different then, just like it was now. All he could do was adjust and hope that nothing felt like killing him anytime soon. With luck, it would lay off for a few days, then come back and bite him in the ass in a week or two.

* * *

Riven arrived in front of a shop with bicycles of all different assortments and colors outside. Trainers came in and out of the store, holding onto their own. _They must be a serious relief for the legs. Sword wounds have nothing on bloody blisters. Seriously, NOTHING._ He stepped inside, unsure of what bike he wanted. He looked around-all of the bikes were under five thousand-which was a good thing. He could afford it. As Riven was looking around, a particular bike caught his eye. It was a silver color and had thin wheels, and a sleek frame as well. It looked appealing: lightweight, aesthetically pleasing, and ergonomic . A store helper noticed what he was looking at. "Ah, that's a GX 135. Fastest Mach bike model available, only true speed demons get that. Scares the pants off casuals anyday, I only recommend it for serious bikers and danger seekers. You can go up to 50 mph at full blast. And it can even handle rougher terrain too. I can see you're eyeing it, you sure you can handle it?"

"It looks nice. And fast is good. Faster means less time wasted, it would be more efficient." Being the most efficient as possible was the best option in every situation. It got things done. He hated being slow. This was also a reason why he hated shopping malls in the current time. People walked so damn _slow_, he felt like stabbing everything in a five foot radius when he had to shuffle behind slow walkers(teenage girls especially irked him, they formed walls to impede passage, something that irritated him beyond belief). He never had this problem in his own time.

"Ok, but I will warn you. It's hard to stop once you get going, if you're not careful, you could hurt yourself. We aren't liable for any damages if you get brain damage or a broken arm or something." Riven had never rode a bicycle before, so he was excited to get his own. He saw the cyclist road when he was having his panic fit a week and a half ago. That wasn't pleasant but he recalled that those bikers were zooming by like lightning, which looked enticing-kind of like surfing. Of course when Brawly tried to teach him how to surf all it did was lead to one too many dunks in the water, until a sharpedo bit his board in half. He didn't go back in the water after that. He felt like keeping his legs, thank you.

Exiting the store with his shiny new bike, he got on it to ride. Then proceeded to fall multiple times. Other trainers laughed at him, a nearly fully grown teenager was embarrassing himself by being unable to ride a bike. It irritated him immensely and he spent the entire after noon teaching himself to ride until he was able to control the damn thing. He had no idea it was that hard to balance on two wheels, but it got remarkably easier once he was able to. What followed was Riven speeding throughout Mauville, having a blast. He was shooting through the city, watching stores and people becoming blurs, traveling along with cars and other cyclists. This was fantastic, now he knew why cyclists went rabid over this sort of thing, the feeling of the wind howling past his ears as he zoomed by and maneuvered around obstacles at high speed was nothing short of pure unbridled freedom.

After speeding through Mauville, he found himself on the same clearing he had been in the first day after his freak out. Except this time, he was actually happy. He still didn't have a purpose, but hell if riding a bike wasn't damn fun.

The next day came and he eagerly rode his bike along route 111. Riven was stopped multiple times by a few trainers, who stood out on the routes waiting for challengers. According to the trainers in the centers, it was a fairly common strategy. Riven found it boring though, he liked being on the move-dawdling was a waste of time. He lost to an ace trainer who had a bird pokemon and a ludicolo, as well as a sableye. He made a mental note of working towards an electric or grass type. Flying types and water types shut down Aine magnificently and ghosts and darks beat Mischief pretty easily. White Queen had a significantly better time facing them but had very little type advantages over them, aside from the ice beam doing twice as much damage to the swellow. He had taught his kirlia thunderbolt, which would be useful in dealing with birds and water pokemon. However, an electric type would be preferable, and there was no way he was catching an electrike after Grumpy. He was going to have to find one elsewhere. Oh, and the magnemite line bored the hell out of him, Riven didn't want one of those.

Although, he did slightly regret teaching Mischief thunderbolt. The little bastard would often shock him for fun, giving him playful but annoying zaps to make him jump. Mischief got quite a kick from it too. He returned him when the shocks irritated him enough, he would let him out when he battled next-served him right. Riven didn't encounter many trainers after he beat a couple others along the route, considering the landscape become more like a valley in between two mountainous areas. Passing through the valley on his bike, he failed to notice a little figure out a ways ahead of him.

"Use rock tomb!" Riven heard, wondering where it came from. He looked to the sides before noticing a chunk of rock jet out from the ground in front of him. He couldn't halt fast enough and his bike collided with the rock, ejecting him from the seat and sending him flying onto the ground ahead. He rolled quite a bit before coming to a stop. His clothes were now stained and dirty, his exposed arms had some pretty nasty scrapes and a rock had cut his cheek during the tumble. Riven's groaned and picked himself up, unsure of what just happened. His vision was a blurry and could only make out a small shape advancing towards him. It looked like a kid.

"Ugh…what the…?"

"Ah! Sorry! Sorry! Sorry! I d-didn't mean to do that!" The little boy stammered, aware that the attack and collision could have seriously harmed the older boy. He saw the scrapes on his arms-which were bleeding and coated in dirt-before freaking out.

Riven shook his head and focused his eyes, getting a good look of the little devil that caused him to crash. The kid had medium length black hair under a red hat with a pokeball logo and a red jacket. The boy's eyes were a light shade of red and he was tannish, probably due to the region's climate. Riven noticed that he was getting darker too, most notably his arms. It wasn't a bad thing per say but it was different. Riven stared at the boy in a dull, dazed stare before realization loomed within him.

"Wait. I _know_ you." The little boy stiffened and he drew in a nervous breath. Riven narrowed his eyes before his face became full of bitterness. "You're the one that blew up my room with your quilava," Riven spat, nearly acidic in tone. The little trainer's red eyes gazed at the floor for a moment before retreating a safe distance away. Riven wasn't going to hurt him, yet. He needed to assess the damage before deciding whether to break the child or not. He had standards but frankly, this was tauros shit.

"I'm sorry! Nez was just practicing a TM move and then you came really fast and then you crashed and you rolled! I freaked out and I thought you died so I came running and I'm sorry!" The little boy was frantic and he definitely wasn't lying. He genuinely looked concerned. Riven changed his mind reluctantly and decided that the boy wasn't entirely at fault. That is until he turned back to see his bike completely and utterly destroyed. His jaw hit the floor before he got angry.

Riven went on a five minute tirade full of ground punching, rock punting and copious usage of the word _fuck_. He had just gotten that bike _yesterday_. Now it was destroyed beyond repair. The wheels were smashed, the handle bars were twisted and the frame's metal had contorted. First Petalburg and now his GX135? _Oh no, this kid is very dead._ Riven stormed back in the boy's direction, causing said boy to freeze in mortification. The look in his brown eye was downright vicious. "You will pay me." Riven pointed to the top of a cliff above them. "Because if you don't, I will have my kirlia teleport you up there, drop you and watch you become a red splatter on the floor. Then I'll let the murkrow feast on your corpse!" Riven was seething, practically breathing dragon fire at this point.

The little trainer instantly pulled out a wad of cash and held it out. "H-h-how much was the b-b-ike?" His hand was shaking but he still managed to hold eye contact with the outraged trainer.

"Four thousand five hundred," Riven answered coldly. This was a lie of course, the bike was sold to him at three thousand, due to a discount for coming from Littleroot. Extra cash didn't hurt, and the kid owed him for incinerating half of his room back in Petalburg. The boy counted the money and Riven snatched it away with a growl. "Control your pokemon," he spat_. I despise kids._

He turned on his heel and walked off, further towards the end of the valley. He became annoyed when he heard a lighter patter of shuffling feet behind him. He stopped and whirled around to see the small boy and his nuzleaf behind him, the former shaking in terror. The nuzleaf just looked confused, and not at all intimidated. Maybe it's because humans didn't scare pokemon, usually.

"Why are you following me? Leave me be."

"I'm not following you! I need to get to the desert too!" The destructive little boy huffed in response, crossing his arms.

Riven cursed under his breath. "How do you plan on getting through the desert then?"

"There's a guy that takes us through if we pay him. He has a truck." The little boy edged around Riven and started to walk ahead of him.

Riven practically glared daggers into the kid's head every second of the way. The boy kept yelling at him to stop staring at him that way and also kept apologizing for Petalburg occasionally, but stopped after he got fed up with Riven's poisonous gaze. His nuzleaf started playing his leaf, which annoyed Riven and prompted him to send out Aine, which blew out a puff of flame to shut him up. Then both trainers started arguing, their pokemon started arguing and both parties were left exceedingly annoyed with one another. The boy seemed to completely forget about fear at this point, basically daring Riven to do something to him.

"You're a bully!"

"You're a walking disaster area!"

"I should report you to the police!"

"I should throw you off a cliff!"

"Shut it rag face! You're annoying!"

"Listen here you little sh-"

Riven and the little kid were interrupted by an amused older man next to his truck. "So, you two kids gonna get in or am I just standing here like a fool? We gotta go! You know the fee, since both of you headed this way. Ya might also want to stock up on some water and supplies" Both trainers glared at each other before begrudgingly handing over one thousand for the ride through the desert. They got in one last growl before hopping into the back of the truck with a canvas covering. They drove into town and picked up some supplies and protective clothing before heading back up to route 111 and exiting into the desert.

"I hate you," The little boy said.

"Oh, don't worry, the feeling is mutual," Riven countered back.

They exchanged quips back and forth, scaring a girl in her mid teens next to them. She thought they were about to tear each other apart before they abruptly stopped. Then they began exchanging names in a know-your-enemy kind of manner.

Riven started first. "What's your name, devil spawn?"

"Will. What's yours, the Grinch?"

"Gray, like the ashes of your body after I burn it in a fire pit."

"Like your room in Petalburg?"

"I'll cut you."

"You want another rock tomb?"

"Not unless you want a seriously _nasty _case of frostbite. My absol has no qualms about putting people in their place."

"I guess it hasn't found yours yet, a prison."

"The only time I'll go to prison is after they find your mangled body and I'm standing over it."

"Then you'll rot in prison, like you should be."

Both trainers snarled, nearly coming to blows. The boy was surprisingly snarky. He also stopped apologizing and actually expressed joy at torching his room, just to spite him. Riven could respect the boy's quick comebacks and defiance in the face of a larger enemy. Silence fell as both trainers crossed their arms and turned away, falling asleep.

The next day, both of them were talking about their hometowns in what seemed like a knife-edged manner. They were a day and half into the desert. "Where are you from?" Riven asked, glaring at the boy while eating some sweet bread(courtesy of Irene). The kid was eating a sandwich, which he bit into rather viciously.

"Slateport." He responded, mouth full of food, reddish eyes narrowed. He chewed slowly and loudly, clearly trying to piss the older trainer off.

"Littleroot."

"My cousin lives there. She said it's boring and the people are boring. _All_ of them." He faked a cough. Was that a sly shot at him?

"And I've been to Slateport. It's full of snotty and irritating people. Reminds me of _certain_ individuals," Riven hissed, looking straight into Will's eyes.

Then their insult matches came back, _completely_ ignoring the girl next to them, who was terrified. Not even her own brothers fought like this. "Guys, can you please-"

"NO. Shut up!" Both trainers yelled in unison. She cowered in the corner, her wurmple was curled up in terror in her lap with her.

Suddenly, a loud boom was heard. The truck screeched to a halt and the window panel opened up in front of them. The driver turned back to them. "Ah, shit. Tires are shot. Stay here, I'm gonna check it out." The trainers sat in the back, waiting a few minutes for him to return. He appeared at the rear of the vehicle, looking into the canvas covered back. "Some son of a bitch pokemon used stealth rock in the middle of the damn road, now the front wheels are completely gone. I got a bird that can carry two of us back to Mauville, then I can get help."

Oh, Riven didn't like this in the slightest. He knew something downright shitty would happen soon, he just didn't know what it would _be_. But since this was in a desert, it was going to be ten times worse than the norm. It was a guarantee, he knew nothing was going to go according to plan. Multitudes of failed plans rang in the back of his head. Those never ended well, and included gigantic servings of improvisation to work out. S_cyther? Alright, kill them and you might survive. You're stuck in the desert? Better hope you're not shit out of luck._ _And you better hope you have enough water with you._

"So, whose gonna come wit' me?" Both Riven and Will raised their hands, then the girl did as well. The trucker passed over Will and Riven completely, taking the girl's hand. "Ladies first, need to remember chivalry guys! I'll be back in a day, stay here and keep hydrated!" He summoned a pidgeot and he flew off. The girl waved sheepishly.

Riven and Will stood out in the desert heat, looking betrayed, before slowly turning to each other. They exchanged looks of disgust. Yes, things just got worse and they certainly weren't going to get better any time soon. Both of them looked up at the sky before cursing.

"Fuck! I had to get stuck here with you!" Both of them said the exact same thing, which annoyed both trainers.

"Stop copying what I say!"

"You copied me!"

"Whatever, let's just get inside and wait," Riven replied, rolling his eyes and climbing inside the truck.

Will climbed in with a scowl before sitting down. Both trainers peeked out at the desert behind them. It looked like a very long way back. The sweltering air distorted the view of the road, both trainers were unable to see the cliffs. They were miles into the desert and it would take more than a day for the trucker to return. But both of them had a feeling that no one would come back. They just hoped it wasn't right. Bad thing about gut feelings? They usually _are_.


	20. Silicosis

Will sat in the truck, fanning himself with a hand. "It's hot." An understatement, it was searing hot. The air shimmered, making the heat clearly visible. Both boys were already sweating. Riven eyed some sandslash that were making their way across the dunes in the distance, the air distorting their image. Some vibrava buzzed by, startling them both.

"Very astute, Will."

"Go die."

"I will one day. And if no one comes back, we're both going to die really soon," Riven hinted, picturing just how bad this situation could really get. Deserts were a hellish place. Being stuck in one was going to be hard. Surviving? Harder still.

"Why do you keep saying that?"

"Because whenever I'm around, when things could go wrong, they usually do. And not just slightly, but catastrophically and fatally wrong." Riven noticed this quite some time ago, usually during attempted ambushes that always turned out wrong, or mountain hikes that always ended in rock slides or a wild pokemon attack. Apart from that, a swarm of murderous scyther attacking him on his first day in the future reinforced the notion. It was undeniable at this point. Shit was about to go down in about fifty different shades of wrong.

"You don't know that."

"Oh, I do. _Trust me_."

"Why should I?" Will gave Riven a distrusting look while crossing his arms. He was rightly suspicious of a man who threatened to kill him a day ago. At least he had a healthy sense of doubt. That was leaps higher than most trainers.

"Well, at least your parents taught you correctly. But if you chose not to believe me, that's your issue. Just don't complain when I'm correct." Riven hoped he wasn't.

Will rolled his eyes and clambered out of the truck. He squinted due to the bright glaring desert sun and the reflection of it's rays on the sand. The temperature was a sweltering 103 degrees Fahrenheit, and it was only noon. It would get even hotter in the next two hours. Riven joined Will outside, visibly sweating too. He wiped his forehead with his hand, shaking off some of the salty liquid.

The smaller trainer walked to the side of the truck and looked around. "There's sand for miles." Look to the north, sand. Look to the south, sand. West? East? Sand. What's that over there? Fucking sand.

"We're in a desert, did you expect daisies and waterfalls?"

Will huffed at the snide comment. Gray was a jerk."Are all older trainers assholes?"

"You sure you should be using that language?"

"Fuck you."

"Eh, what do I care? I'm not your father. Thank the heavens for that."

"Ugh." Will felt a breeze brush against his face. It was an uncomfortable and dry wind, providing no relief against the desert heat. It didn't feel like the prairie breezes or gentle winds of Petalburg, it was like opening an oven, a rush of hot air. It was a little better than having no wind at all though. "It's kind of windy."

Riven noticed the wind brush against the exposed skin on his arms. He lifted his hands, feeling it further. "You're right. But it's incredibly dry…" Riven felt like he was missing something important here. He thought it would come to him later, so he shoved it to the back of his mind. "Hmmmm, we still got another day to go."

Will looked confused. "Why's that? They left hours ago. They should be back soon." Obviously this Gray bastard was a downer, like those emo kids Will hated back in Slateport. They always sought the negative side of things. That pissed him off.

Riven sighed, this kid knew nothing. "Will, this is a desert." It sounded obvious but the implications of it made the kid's assumption tauros shit.

"Yeah, genius. You said that to me already."

"Think about it." Riven waited, but after receiving a blank stare, he continued with his explanation. "It's hot, and that pidgeot is carrying two people over miles of desert in 103 degree heat. It's going to have to stop to rehydrate and rest. It can't go the full trip that quickly. Plus, the trucker is bringing back vehicles to get us, if it took a day at 90 to get here, it's going to take them a while to get here too. So we may have to stay overnight."

"Out here?"

"Nooooo." Riven placed a hand on the boy's shoulder and waved his free hand in an arc facing the sky. "On the moon." Then gave Will a scowl. "Idiot."

"Asshole."

"You asked a stupid question."

Will hissed and positioned himself under the truck's shade. He was short enough to do it. Riven wasn't, unfortunately. He had to crouch to get under it's shade, for now it was too small for him, but later it would get larger with the position of the sun. Will's face twisted in disgust. "Why are you here? This is my spot."

"You don't own the shade. And it's the only spot with some protection from the sun."

"Fine, just don't touch me or anything, you're all sweaty." Will wiped his face with his sleeve, and took off his hat, which was making his head itchy. His hair was damp and his shirt was beginning to accumulate sweat at the collar. Riven noticed.

"So are you."

"Shut up."

Both trainers remained this way for quite a while, before Riven went back to the truck and brought out a mini gallon of water to drink out of. Will was drinking a bottle of water, it wasn't nearly that big. Will caught sight of the gallon and turned back to staring at a sand dune in the distance. Then he did a double take and stared back at it. Riven noticed the smaller boy staring at him and raised a brow.

"What?"

Will pointed to Riven's gallon. "Did you have to bring that much?"

"This? I brought four of those, and several bottles in my bag."

Will's jaw dropped. Either this guy was crazy prepared or went overboard on everything. "WHAT? Why so much?"

"Because I had a feeling something unfortunate and potentially full of suck could happen. And the most crucial thing in a desert is water. Food is well and good, but no water means you slow down. Slowing down means death," Riven stated simply, taking another gulp.

"You're paranoid."

"You have _no_ idea."

It was now three in the afternoon, and the temperature had risen to 107. The winds got a little stronger. Will noticed it and pointed out the change again. "The wind got stronger." He kicked some sand with his foot.

"Yes." Riven drank some water again, staring at the same dune that Will was staring at. He swore it was getting smaller. That feeling of missing something came back again, but stronger. He couldn't quite place it. A sandshrew rolled down the dune into a depression and out of sight.

"Is that dune getting smaller?"

"Yes."

"Hmm. Must be the wind."

"Probably."

They sat under the shade a few more minutes, sipping water and eating some snacks to keep hunger away. Meanwhile they were eating, the wind picked up a little more. Sand blew onto the makeshift road, landing at the trainers' feet. Riven munched lazily, staring ahead in a blank daze.

"Hmmm, the wind got stronger. That's most curious…."

Something _still_ didn't feel right. The dune had disappeared and the sands were shifting due to the wind. Riven and Will exchanged glances and continued eating. Then the sand started blowing a little harder, it bothered Will and he cursed at it. Riven wasn't really disturbed and finished his jerky. The wind picked up once again, sand brushing a bit more harshly against their face.

"Why is the wind getting stronger? This is a desert," Will complained, blocking some sand from his face with his sleeve. It was getting annoying and some sand was getting in his sandwiches. "Go away!"

Riven froze. "Wait, wait, WAIT."

"What, what, what?"

"The wind keeps getting stronger."

"Well, duh. It's been doing that."

Riven's visible eye widened and he drank a bigger gulp of water before closing the gallon up in a hurry. "Will, what happens when it gets really windy in the desert?"

"Annoying sand in your face?"

"No. I mean yes!" Riven ran a hand through damp hair and nervously scratched his head. "Oh, shit."

"What? What's going on? Why are you freaking out?"

Riven took out a small pokeball and enlarged it. It opened and White Queen emerged, looking confused. She noticed the desert environment and started to complain. "Ab! Absol, sol-so!" Riven held up a finger and waited. Then, she tensed and sank low to the floor. Her pupil's dilated and her neck stiffened, her horn tingled fiercely. "Absol! Absol! Absol!" Her trainer nodded and returned her. He gulped slowly and cursed.

"What was that about?" Will asked, unaware of the impending danger. Why did he summon his stupid absol anyway?

"Will, get inside the truck. Now," Riven warned, looking out at the desert.

"Why? I don't have to listen to you."

"Now isn't the time to be hostile. This just became serious." Riven's tone unnerved Will, the older trainer's last sentence sent shivers through his spine. "You can hate me all you want, if we want to survive, you are going to listen to me. I've been through this before, and I know what's coming. So work with me, I don't care what you do after."

"F-fine." Will could feel an ominous vibe coming from Gray, it scared him. "What's the danger?"

"Something is coming, something really , really, nasty."

Will quickly hopped into the truck again, joined moments later by the older trainer. Gray started to take out goggles and rags, unwrapping his right eye and counting his water. Will couldn't help but take notice of the sudden change in the guy's behavior. "What's going-"

"Quiet." Will stopped talking. "Will, I need you to be calm. Can you do that?"

"Y-yeah."

"Good, because we're going to need to be very calm."

"Tell me what's going on!" Will demanded, tired of the vagueness and cryptic warnings.

Riven looked at him with both eyes, his brown and blue eye. There was a seriousness in them that indicated that he was not messing around. "There's an enormous sandstorm coming." Will paled, he had heard of the storms from people in Mauville, they were nothing to scoff about. He didn't think he'd get caught in one. He started to panic.

"I told you to be calm!" Riven scolded, holding the boy in place. The winds outside began to pick up further, sand blowing into the road a bit harder now. Will calmed down, still breathing a little harder than usual. "A sandstorm will hit us soon, it's better to stay inside here. That canvas is tough and might protect us, moving about in a sandstorm is dangerous. Any exposed skin might get roughed up by the sand and random rocks can outright end you if they're being flung fast enough."

Riven looked at the boy and then at his bag. "Do you have desert goggles and a bandana with you?"

Will nodded. "Yeah." He dug through his bag and took them out.

"Alright. Put them on. Make sure the bandana is tight and covers your nose and mouth. The goggles will protect you from any sand getting in your eyes." Riven put on his own. "Wear your jacket, don't take it off. Cover as much skin as best you can. Also, drink water now." The boy listened and drank more water than usual. The wind started to whip against the canvas.

"It's going to be loud, it's going to be dark. Breathe slowly. Do you understand?"

"Yeah, but why?"

"Sand is going to be everywhere, if you breathe too quickly, you could inhale it and clog your lungs with sand. Then you'll choke and die. It's not a pleasant way to perish. Even if you do survive, you might have trouble breathing for a while. If you breathe slowly and hold the bandana tight around your mouth, you should be fine. Wet it first though." Riven pointed at his backpack. "Use that to cover your face, it will lessen exposure to sand. And one last thing, make sure to keep warm, it's going to get _very_ cold."

Will nodded furiously and put on his jacket and pulled over his hood, pulling on the strings to tighten it. Riven did the same with his hoodie and used some cloth that the trucker had in the back to cover his arms. Sand traveling at high speed chafed and scratched skin ruthlessly and painfully, he didn't want to live through that. He also needed to keep as warm as possible, the sand would block out the sun, which would cause the temperature to plummet. Hypothermia could kill just as well as dehydration.

The wind began to howl and Riven peered outside momentarily, seeing a wall of dust hundreds of feet high rapidly approaching them. He turned back to the frightened young boy and motioned for him to calm down. "It's coming. Brace. It might hit the truck hard. It's one of the biggest I've ever seen." Riven retreated next to Will and held on, hearing the wind steadily increase in volume. It howled and screeched before the roaring of sand could be heard. Both trainers breathed in and prepared themselves.

The sandstorm passed over them and hit the truck with a slam. Sand poured inside the back, coating both trainers from head to toe in sand. The howling of wind blocked out any and all sound, Riven reassured Will with a grasp from his right hand, lightly squeezing to calm him down. The sand kept assaulting the interior and eventually, the truck began to creak and tilt. Riven and Will held their breath, unable to suspect what would happen next. The wind slammed back into the truck, harder this time, tilting it and sending it over into a dune.

It rolled and flipped, tossing Riven and Will around inside, leaving them bruised in various places. The sandstorm still didn't let up, both trainers lay flat on their stomachs now, watching the sandstorm wreak havoc outside. The truck had flipped over and was now upside down. Riven and Will would have to crawl out of the space now. They had minor injuries and their supplies were entirely intact. However, Will's pokenav had fallen out in the tumble and was currently being buried by the barrage of sand outside.

The storm continued on for quite some time. It was terrifying, seeing nature create such freakish storms. It made human destruction look miniscule and petty in comparison. The canvas had been damaged and was ripped in places. There was no way the truck would be useful again. Sand got into the engine parts and exhaust pipes. It was completely dead. The temperature had dropped significantly and visibility was next to nothing. After the storm stopped, Will and Riven crawled out. They stood up and kept their masks on, the air was still heavy and thick with dust.

"What now? I-I-It-t's freezing!" Will said, teeth chattering.

Riven opened up his pokenav, asking Will to find the temperature gadget. It would take him too long to find it himself, so he had the younger boy do it. He did and the reading was at a twenty eight degrees Fahrenheit. Riven was shivering himself, having much lighter clothing and no jacket, unlike Will. It was incredibly dark, and even he had trouble seeing much of anything. The only light anywhere was the pokenav's screen. They needed a fire.

Taking out his knife, Riven cut away strips of the canvas for future use before Will lit up some flammable items with a lighter. They sat in one spot and huddled around the small fire, it kept the cold away, even though it wouldn't last long.

Will spoke first, breaking the eerie silence. "So what happens now?"

"Let's wait until morning." Riven grimaced, he was going to hate breaking the news to the boy. He was going to hate what would come next even more though. His pokenav was on low battery. They used it as a light source and the sun wouldn't shine through the dust cloud for a day or more. It was likely going to die soon. And the lack of sun would prevent them from charging it.

Morning came, less dusty but still cold. A bit warmer, which was an improvement, but by no means good. The day was as cold as night, and it would get even colder in the night if things continued this way. Luckily, most of the dust cloud was dispersing, but visibility was still at critically low levels.

Will tugged on Riven's shirt. "Can't we just use a fire pokemon to keep us warm?"

"No."

"Why?"

"If they breathe in the sand, they can choke too. We also have to conserve our water and food from now on."

"What? You're saying that like…."

"Yes. That's exactly what I'm saying." Riven hesitated, but persisted anyway. The kid had to face reality. This was going to be struggle for survival. "Will, no one is coming. This time for sure. No one on a bird goes out in the middle of sandstorms and a dust cloud. It's suicide. They won't come until it clears and until the sandstorms pass. It might be days before the cloud disperses completely, and who knows if another sandstorm might hit. If there's flooding, it's even worse."

"Floods?"

"Yes. They occur often. And fast. If we get caught in one, we need to get to the highest possible ground and hope lightning doesn't hit us." Will didn't imagine ending up in a place like this. He was trembling, thinking about his parents and his sister back home. He started to think about death and was an inch away from crying when Riven shook him.

"Stop it."

"Stop what?"

"I know what you're thinking. Cut it out. We have to try and survive this the best we can. No way am I dying out here. You got a family right?"

"Yeah…"

"Then stop it. This is what happens in the wild, you're a trainer, you better get used to it. Life is not sunshine and rainbows. This is your reality check, be glad it happened sooner rather than later." Riven's tone could cut through ice. It was harsh but necessary. Trainers had to know what they were getting into. The world was not a safe place, they had to accept that. They were lucky they didn't go through what he did, and with fortune, they would never have to.

Will looked down to where his feet were supposed to be when he felt droplets on his back. He was about to speak up before Gray told him to pack his things and hurry the fuck up. Gray stuffed the mini-gallons in his bag and carried others over his back on a strap before jolting Will upwards. They ran frantically to the highest dune they could find.

Water began pouring down, filling the inside of the pit they were stuck in. The water completely engulfed the truck and a rising pool of water began to approach them. Gray dragged Will along at high speed, running up the dune to avoid the water.

Riven cursed. _Fuck, fuck, fuck. Need to move. Can't let the water get to us. _He reached the top of the dune and let Will catch his breath. The water stopped ten feet below them. They both waited for the water to recede before sighing in relief.

"That was a flash flood?"

"Yes."

"That was freaking scary."

"Tell me about it." Cold and wet was just a formula for hypothermic death. The water could suck out the heat from a body and make conditions even worse than they already were. The water was also undrinkable due to being infested with sand particles. Not to mention the danger of falling in a basin and drowning. This was turning out to be a nightmare, both for him and for Will.

A few hours later and some sunlight managed to sneak through some of the dust. It was still extremely dark but Riven could see somewhat and was acting as Will's guide, who couldn't see a thing. The temperature rose slightly but remained largely unchanged, the dust was still too concentrated to be able to breathe safely. The water had gathered in basins and pits and their clothes had partially dried already. Riven's pokenav had also died. They were completely guideless, no stars to keep track off, no GPS, and no road to follow. It had been swept away by the sandstorm. All that was left was sand.

The pair had no idea what way was north to Lavaridge and decided to walk in a direction. Any fucking direction. It was better than waiting for help that wasn't going to come for days if not weeks. They walked for a few hours, seeing some dry plants scattered about. Riven gathered the brush and stuffed it into his bag. It would be useful fuel for burning. They resumed walking for even more time, until they decided to rest and start another small fire with the brush they had collected.

Riven and Will sat on opposite ends of the fire, staring into the flames. Will chuckled. The older boy looked at him with a confused expression behind his goggles and mask."What's with the laugh?"

"It's funny."

"What is?"

Will continued chuckling, holding out his quilava's pokeball. "You know, I never wanted to be a trainer." He had always wanted to be a racer. Like those guys who drove really fast cars and raced around Slateport. That looked really cool.

Riven's eyebrows climbed nearly to his hairline, even if Will couldn't quite see his facial expressions and vice versa. "Really? Then why are you a trainer?" If he didn't want to be one, then why was he even doing it now? Much less collecting badges.

"Mom forced me." He stopped playing with the pokeball, only holding it and staring at it. His foot kicked a bit of sand out of the way.

"Why would she do that?"

"You remember when I blew up your room in Petalburg?" Will asked, trembling from the cold, tightening his hoodie again.

"Are you mocking me or asking me a legitimate question?" It didn't sound like mocking. Of course he remembered, no one forgets nearly jumping out of their skin after a wall next to them decides to explode.

"Second one."

"Then yes, I do remember."

"Well, imagine that, but like every week." Will looked down at his feet with shame.

Riven paused, thought about it and winced. "Yes, if I was your mother, I'd ship you off to become a trainer too. Do you always randomly set things on fire?"

"I don't try to! It's just…Quil loves setting things on fire."

"That's your quilava correct?"

"Yeah…"

"Sounds like he has an obsession with fire. Isn't surprising. My combusken sets things on fire when she's excited." Slateport came to mind. Also, part of Irene's hair. He didn't want to think about the untold destruction she would cause if she became a blaziken and didn't mellow down.

"Quil does it for fun." Riven gave him a skeptical glance, even through the goggles and facemask. Will continued, "He laughed when he set an abandoned cottage on fire."

"Joyful laugh or?"

"More like mua-ha-ha-ha."

"A fire type with pyromania. That's a dangerous mix. Could lead to…mishaps." Accidental forest fire anyone? How about accidental burning building?

"Yeah." Will paused and Gray stayed silent, until the older boy suddenly stated something strange.

"My kirlia's a pervert." Will wasn't expecting that. He thought his team was weird. Maybe all trainers had strange pokemon.

"Really?"

"Yes. He shoves his face in whatever modestly sized chest he can find. He also uses psychic to lift skirts. That's one of the reasons why I didn't let him out in Slateport. There's only so many slaps a man can take before his cheek falls off." Riven snorted and Will snickered also. It was ironic, having two people making jokes and laughing while they were caught in one of the worst situations imaginable, next to being stranded in the ocean.

The laughs died down and Will looked up at Riven. "How did you become a trainer?"

"Accident."

"How does that work?"

"I was looking around Littleroot and had my absol and kirlia following me around. They weren't mine at the time and only followed me because I was a food source. Birch saw me and then signed me up for the league without even letting me get a say in the matter. Then I saw the opportunity that training presented so I took it and went traveling since. It's a pleasant change of pace. And battles are satisfying." Training was a nice excuse to travel and actually gave him something he _could_ do, which was beat other trainers into the ground and take their money.

"Yeah, they are."

Both trainers then stood silent for a while. Riven looked up at the orangey sky and sighed."We should get some sleep, stay close to the fire. We need to cover more ground tomorrow." Will nodded and both of them huddled close to the fire again. They fell asleep quickly.

They spent the next few days walking and making camp fires while the dust started to clear. It was rapidly getting hotter again and they started to sweat again. They could breathe better now and didn't need the facemask so much, but they still wore the goggles to keep sand out of their eyes. Will had managed to fall in a quicksand pit and Riven lost his pokenav trying to save him. At least Will managed to capture a trapinch by smacking one with a pokeball. He got angry and maximized the pokeball before chucking it randomly. Somehow it hit the trapinch and caught it. Will rejoiced for much of the day after that.

"I'm going to name it Maximus Prime!" Will announced, raising the great ball in the air with a triumphant tone. He looked overjoyed at the fact that he randomly chucked a pokeball and managed to catch a pokemon. Riven wished he had that luck. Then again, Will was also stuck in the desert with him. Maybe it wasn't worth it, he took back the wish instantly.

"Calm down there. Maximus Prime is a mouthful. And what if it's a female?"

"Fine, Rika."

"That sounds much shorter. I approve."

"I wasn't asking for your approval."

"Alright, fine. It's your pokemon. Let's keep walking. Don't have to get so defensive."

"My feet hurt."

"I know. Keep walking."

* * *

It was day six and the sun was scorching hot. Both of the trainers were red in the face and sweating profusely. Will was about to take a huge gulp of water when Gray's hand stopped him.

"What the hell! I need to drink water!"

"Don't be stupid. Drink small sips instead of huge gulps. It makes the water last longer and can save you later on. Conserve your water. And don't discard the water bottles when they're empty."

"Why the water bottles?"

"In case we ever need any…extra hydration."

It took a few moments for Will to understand what Gray was implying. Oh no. He had seen this on Man vs Wild. He was…no. "You are not going to tell me what I think you're going to tell me." Gray formed a ghost of a smirk before taking a sip of water. He looked back at will before saying what Will hoped he wouldn't say.

"Urine has water in it."

The younger trainer's face fell into a mix of horror, disgust, and incredulousness. He couldn't think about drinking his own piss, it was yellow and icky. "Doesn't it taste awful?" He shuddered thinking about the taste.

"Will, sometimes we need to do things to survive. Many of those things aren't going to be pleasant. But it's better than being dead. And they do make for impressive survival stories."

Will looked downwards and started to complain. Riven shook his head and just kept walking. The sand was blazing hot, the heat could be felt even through their shoes. Both of them had been walking on blisters and the heat made the rubbing unbearably worse. They stuffed rags inside to reduce the rubbing. It seemed to help and made walking bearable. They couldn't stop, or else the sun would bake them even further. There was no shade anywhere, just sand and dry brush here and there. However, the desert pokemon didn't seem to mind.

They crossed into an area of the desert that was a bit more rocky than the sandy dunes behind them. There was more vegetation there and burnable brush but the temperature was by no means cooler. Strange shaped cacti were motionless and spread out around the area. Of course they were motionless, they were just a bunch of cactus. Riven and Will eyed them strangely, getting goosebumps and an uneasy feeling when around them.

Night descended and they set up a fire as usual, using the collected brush from earlier. They sat silently next to the fire, the night was colder than usual. The heat of the fire helped ease the cold. They would have to collect much more if they wanted to travel further. Will and Riven more filling meals. They couldn't take on pokemon by themselves, and they didn't want to waste more water on their pokemon. The pokeballs protected them from the conditions of the desert. Plus, if their pokemon got hurt, there wouldn't be a center for miles. Then they could die from blood loss or poison. Both of them didn't want to risk that.

Will took out a jar of peanut butter. Riven stared at it. "What is it?"

"Peanut butter. It's a good trainer food. Lots of people told me to get it, it has protein and fat which is good for someone in the wild. Try it." Will let Gray get a spoonful and watched him taste it. He waited to see his reaction. Gray simply nodded in approval.

"It's sticky but it has an agreeable taste. Not too bad at all." It did taste good, Riven would have to buy some the next time he encountered a market. If it was as useful as other trainers made it out to be, it would prove an invaluable source of nourishment for any extended period of time in the wilderness. "You should save it, don't eat too much."

"I know. You scolded me for that already, _dad_." He took a spoon of peanut butter and put the jar back into his bag. Will then turned around and stared behind him. The hairs on the back of his neck were standing up, so were the ones on his arms. And it wasn't just from the cold.

"What?"

Will turned back to Gray and shifted his eyes around the surrounding area. "You ever get the feeling that you're being watched?" It was like someone or something was watching them. From _every single direction_. And not just any small little sandshrew or trapinch either.

"Will. On a scale of completely alone to the entire bloody desert feels like it's watching us, it feels like the latter option right now. I know what you mean, but I can't see anything moving about." The light from the fire made it difficult to make anything out, only making out a bunch of cactus, rocks, and plants. Nothing was moving out there, why did it feel like something was watching them? "You know what? Let's sleep in shifts. You sleep for a bit and I'll keep watch. Then you watch and I'll get some sleep. I'll take the early ones."

"Ok." Will didn't want to argue with him, he felt creeped out. He didn't want something to kill him in his sleep, at least with another person awake they stood a chance. Will curled up next to the fire and fell asleep.

Riven's paranoia came back full force and he surveyed the surrounding darkness with extreme vigilance. He took out his knife and kept it close to him. Anything that came after them was going to take a stab to the jugular. Whether it be pokemon or man. He wasn't taking chances. He kept watch for a couple of hours, then nudged Will awake for his shift. Riven slept until morning, until the sun rose and started to bake the land again. Will shoved him awake, looking nervous and jittery.

"Huh? What's wrong?"

The smaller boy pointed towards the direction of the dunes."Is it just me, or did some of the cactus move?" He swore that they moved. Maybe Gray's paranoia was contagious.

Both trainers looked around the surrounding area. Some of the strangely shaped cactuses appeared to look closer. Or were they? Were they there before? They weren't sure. They exchanged looks and packed up quickly. They didn't plan on sticking around to find out. Their paranoia meters were on overcharge now and they wanted to get the hell out of there as soon as possible.

"Let's get moving, this place feels wrong."

"No kidding. That was the most paranoid I've ever felt in my life," Will stated, twitching after he remembered last night.

Riven nodded and made a mental note of his remaining water. He was glad he brought along excess, which certainly made a difference. It's a good thing he was overly paranoid and always packed more than he needed most of the time. If he hadn't, he'd be in a much dire situation than he was in now. However, Will didn't bring quite enough with him. He was down to his last bottle. Soon, he would run out of water. Their food supply was also dwindling quickly and dangerously low. They would have to tear into the pokemon food if this kept up. The longer they spent, the more they would have to ration.

They had to get out of this place, the clock was ticking.


	21. Warnings

"Gray, can I ask you a question?" Riven didn't even look at him, he just kept shuffling his feet forward in the desert heat. Both of them were walking slower than they had before. Will dragged along a little slower than Riven.

"Fire away."

"What's your name?" Riven scrunched his face before turning back to Will with a questioning look. His name was Gray. Will knew this, why was he asking stupid questions? Maybe it was one of those things that kids do to annoy someone when there's nothing to do.

"It's Gray, you knew that already."

Will scoffed and wiped off some sweat from his face before it went into his eye. The little boy was more intuitive than most people, his parents always said that. He would see things that others didn't. "That's a fake name isn't it?" 'Gray' stood a little straighter and paused for a moment. _Gotcha_. "I knew it. You don't even have to tell me, your reaction told me everything I needed to know."

Riven looked at the little boy, a bit impressed. _People watching is one of his hobbies too huh, trainers should take some notes from him._ "You're pretty sharp. I thought it was just comebacks and general snarks but it seems you're pretty intelligent. How old are you? Ten?"

Will huffed, "I'm twelve." Everyone always got his age wrong.

"Oh. You're pretty short." Riven thought Will was younger. At his age, he was pretty tall. But at that age, he was learning how to stab a guy in the throat, not training pokemon. Aging went by quick.

"My parents aren't that tall, it isn't my fault. You know genes and stuff." His dad was only 5'7, and his mom was 5'4. There was a very slim chance he'd make it to six feet like Gray. Actually, Will had seen eighteen year olds before, they certainly didn't look like him. If he hadn't told him his age, he'd still think Gray was in his twenties or something. Maybe it was that blank expression he always wore, it made him look older.

Riven had no idea what genes were, so he didn't mention it. That was probably science talk or something. That was Steven's department, not his. That lecture back in Rustboro was supposed to be introductory biology, and it still went over his head."Regardless, I'm surprised you caught my alias. What gave it away?"

Will chuckled loudly. "Gray? Really? Come on. What kind of sick parents name their kid after such a boring color? It's so dull! Even black has more spirit. Seriously, what's your name?"

Riven sighed. Amy said the exact same thing. Gray was indeed a dull color but he liked it because it was simple and unassuming. It's dullness is what makes it a neutral color, not too bright but not too dark either. It appealed to him, so he just stuck with it. He should have named himself something like Nathan or Eric. People from this time were infatuated with those kinds of names. 'Riven' was an oddity around here. "My real name is Riven."

"Riven? It sounds cool. What's it mean?"

"Don't know. No one ever told me."

"Not even your parents?"

Riven felt resentful as he thought about his parents. Irene reminded him of how shit his parents really were. He never felt warmness from them, only lectures, scoldings, and lessons. In the brief time he had known Irene, she acted like more of a mother than his did. It pissed him off. He clenched his fist and grit his teeth together. "My parents wouldn't even have the decency to give me the time of the fucking day."

Will noticed that he might have struck a nerve. He backed off, it wasn't worth fighting with Riven in the middle of a desert anyway. "Sorry."

Riven shrugged, anger falling off him instantly. He knew it wasn't Will's fault. Instead, he just motioned the boy to continue walking. "It's fine." Riven looked up at the sky. Not a cloud in sight. Today, he would have to get a good look at the sky and try to find the north star. Then he could use it to find a way to Lavaridge. Hopefully they were near the exit, even near Mauville would be preferable.

"I think you should stick with Gray though."

Riven raised a brow. "Why's that? You calling me dull?"

Will snickered. "Am I?"

"Well, if that's what you're implying, then you're not the first to tell me that."

"That's not what I meant though."

"Then what did you mean?"

Will shook some dust out of his hair and drank a little bit more water."It fits you I guess. I can't really explain why. Riven sounds pretty cool and all but Gray sounds simple, and it's easy to remember."

"Hmm, I guess you're right."

"Why _did_ you use a fake name? You're not a criminal are you?" It could explain his tendency to threaten things.

Riven stared at Will for a moment. He should know perfectly why he was using an alias. Riven recognized that he was more jumpy than a skitty at night. Will facepalmed after realizing who he was talking to. "Geez, your paranoia is a serious problem."

"It saved us with the water. Speaking of which, how much are you down to?"

Will took out a single bottle. He grimaced as he noticed that in a day or so his supply would be finished. He caught Riven's look and shifted his gaze elsewhere. "I'm not going to ask to have some of your water. It's yours." It was more out of pride than anything, he hated asking for things.

Riven walked up to him and smacked the boy upside the head. "When you run out, tell me. I don't mind sharing. I'm not going to leave you out here so the desert can turn you into a mummified corpse. I can't snark to a dead corpse. That would be boring."

Will rubbed his head and accepted silently. Maybe Gray wasn't too bad for a jerk after all. But he was still a jerk. They still hadn't left the rocky part of the desert yet and those weird cactus things were everywhere, he still felt creeped out around them. Will was fixated on the older boy's blue eye."Why don't your eyes match? One is blue and the other is brown, what's with that?"

Riven thought about it, he didn't really know. He did get a lot of shit for it back when he was a little boy. People kept calling him illegitimate or something. "I was just born that way." It was all he could say after all, everyone back home thought he was some kind of demon creature. No one here did. Although, they did stare quite a bit.

"Pretty weird. Which one is the odd one?"

"The brown one."

"Really? So your parents both had blue eyes?"

"Yes. When I came out with a brown eye, everyone lost their minds. That's why I cover it up. Some find it intimidating or unnerving. I scared a girl away with it in Petalburg, right before you torched my room." Will pretended to whistle, but he failed pretty badly. Riven didn't want to tell him he had a crazed bloodthirsty thing in his mind and that his eye turned blood red at random intervals. It sounded very unlikely. It would be best if he never found out. Will didn't speak anymore so they continued shuffling along through the desert heat. Night would come soon.

When the sun went down and the temperature plummeted, they did their usual routine of setting up a fire and such. It was pretty much a standard, except the feeling of being watched came back again. Riven and Will were jumpy as all hell, looking behind them every few seconds. Riven looked up into the sky and found the north star. He drew a line in the sand to indicate the direction that north was in.

Riven flipped open Charles. The pokedex's blue lights lit up and he was greeted by a smooth voice. "Hello sir, it has been quite a while since you last requested my services." Riven cracked a smile.

"Indeed."

"What is the occurrence?"

"Oh, you know. The usual."

"What's trying to murder you this time, sir?"

Will's interest peaked. Who was Gray talking to? He moved to the side and saw Gray talking to…his pokedex? "Are you talking to a pokedex?" Maybe he was insane after all. He heard that crazy people talked to inanimate objects. The desert heat was getting to him, most likely.

Charles' lights flashed. "Ah. I see you have company. I am Charles, an AI." Will was surprised that the pokedex talked like it could think and reason. He actually recoiled back. It acknowledged him, that was freaky.

"Is that a new model? Mine doesn't do that."

"Affirmative. I am one of the newest models. I am a product of collaboration between Devon, Silph, and the Institute of Technology in Castelia City. May I ask your name, trainer?" Riven rolled his eyes, Charles was always so polite. He needed Brawly to get Charles to lighten up, this formality irked him.

"I'm Will."

"Hello, Will."

"You sound like a person."

"Well, that is the purpose of my programming. My creators wanted my model line to connect with trainers on their travels, and to give them someone to talk to in the wilderness. I am still programmed with the functions of a normal pokedex however."

"That's so damn cool!" Will looked at Gray, who seemed amused with the kid's exchange with Charles. "How'd you get a new model? You're poorer than dirt." He only had a standard pokedex model, not some awesome AI that could talk and hold a conversation.

"Ah, I believe I can answer that," Charles stated. "He received me from the lab in Littleroot, which belongs to Professor Birch. He is a good friend of the Devon CEO Steven Stone, so naturally he would receive the first models. In truth, the AI models are still experimental and not available to the public. My owner is actually a test rattata for this sort of thing." Riven scowled, he had a feeling he was being used.

"Maybe I can get one too, in the future."

"Perhaps. The companies hope that the AIs are successful. If they are, they can be used for multiple purposes, facilitating computations and boosting the performance of technology." Charles made a brief pause. "Sir, am I successful?"

Riven thought about it. Charles might be a computer whatever but he certainly seemed humanlike. "I think so. You definitely seem human, you can think and feel. I know it because you've given me some snark in the past."

"Sorry sir but it seems to rub off. You're no saint." Charles made a digital cough sound. "I meant no disrespect of course." He coughed again.

"Charles, you don't have to apologize. I am a bit of an asshole." Riven had to admit it. Nearly everyone in the military was a full on asshole or a watered down asshole_. Comes with the profession, I guess._

Will saw an opportunity, he took it. "Tremendous."

"Shut up."

Charles chuckled. "Sir, it seems you may have met your match."

"You didn't hear the verbal battles we had some time ago, Charles."

"I wish that I had." Charles was curious as to where his owner was currently located. He did not have a GPS function like the pokenavs, so he was unaware of their current position in the Hoenn region. "Anyway, where are you sir?"

Riven saw Will shrug in a way of saying _tell-him-if-you-want-I-don't-care._ "We're in the desert in the middle of route 111." The worry in Charles' strange silence was almost palpable. He said nothing for a full minute. He knew his owner well enough, he was definitely in a life threatening situation. Considering he had company, it wasn't loneliness. That meant that his owner was stuck in the worst possible desert scenario possible.

"Sir, what part of the desert are you _in_?" His tone was serious and full of concern. Will and Riven felt that what he was about to say next would make their already sour mood even more sour. "Describe it to me._ In detail_."

Riven looked around. He began describing the surrounding area. "There are rocks, some vegetation, boulders, wild sandshrew, and sand. Lots of sand. Sand everywhere."

"Are there any cacti?"

"Yes. There are some that are just spiky and are standing straight up. There are some others though."

"What do they look like? Tell me."

"Ummm, it looks like they have strange pyramid shaped tops. They don't have as much spikes on them as the others do. Also, they're green. But that goes without saying." What was so special about them? They were everywhere and looked like any regular cactus.

Charles was deathly silent before saying three words that made electricity crawl down both trainers' spines. "Those aren't cacti."

Riven and Will's hearts skipped a beat. "What." What did he mean they weren't cacti? That couldn't be right. They weren't moving! They couldn't possibly be…pokemon.

"Sir, you and Will need to get out of the desert at all costs."

"We kind of knew that."

"Don't stop. Don't fall behind. And whatever you do, do not move at night. Move in the day, stay close to the fire at night, they won't approach."

"Who won't approach?" Will asked, more than a little frightened at the pokedex's chilling warning.

"Cacturne." Both trainers glanced at the strangely shaped cacti. There were _dozens_ of them. They couldn't fight them all off. They had fire pokemon but what would be the use if they couldn't see two feet in front of them?

"What's so dangerous about them?" Riven asked, he figured the same thing Will had. Take out a bunch of fire pokemon and roast them.

"They stalk travelers until they fall victim to the desert heat. Then they eat them." Alright, not so bad. "Also, once they have prey in mind, they don't stop following you."

Both trainers let out a string of curses foul enough to challenge a Muk. Desert, sandstorms, floods, and now stalking cactus? Amazing. Will groaned and glared daggers at Riven. "Does this _always _happen to you? My travels had been fine until you showed up! Now we can't go a day without something trying to murder us!"

"I got attacked by a swarm of scyther on my first day." Both as a trainer, and in the future. It was symbol from the heavens for sure. Fate treats you like it's personal butt mankey.

Will winced. So this was a regular thing for him. His paranoia wasn't misplaced after all, everything _was_ trying to kill him. But maybe not to this degree, even nature wanted them dead right now. "That _really_ sucks."

"Ten days in the hospital strapped to a bed. Not fun in the tiniest of ways." Riven stared into the flames, holding his hands out to warm them. "Besides, you're a walking disaster area and I'm a doom magnet, what did you think would happen?"

Will sighed. "Good point. What should we do then?"

Charles gave some monumental advice. "Survive."

Both trainers frowned, they weren't even surprised. Some help that was. Will spoke up, voicing his annoyance. "So, try not to die from dehydration and don't move at night because freaky cactus pokemon want to eat us. Then we have to sleep through them watching us, that won't be hard _at all_." Riven nodded in agreement. He flipped Charles closed again.

He pointed at Will. "Enough talk. Sleep. You know the routine." Will did as he was told. He had some trouble falling asleep but managed it after thirty minutes of turning. He didn't know how much more of this he could take.

The next few days after that left them in a perilous situation. They were down to Riven's last little mini-gallon. Sharing water between the two of them had finished the rest of his water pretty quickly. The last gallon was only half full too. It didn't even look like they were even remotely close to the exit. Just some more desert for miles ahead. They had drunk their own…urine too. It was gross but necessary. They had tried to dig a hole in the ground to try and find water but it just left their hands roughed up and bleeding. Even through bleeding they were losing water, so they stopped that too. Rika had no luck finding water either. Riven tried to cut open some cactus(that weren't cacturne) but found that the liquid in them tasted even more foul than urine did. Needless to say, they refrained from doing that again.

They trudged along the harsh desert ground, a weak gait instead of a solid walk. They were sunburned and the sweat and dust had dried in their hair, turning it a white color. Their clothes had grown stiff due to the sweat and their feet felt like hell. Their conversations were barely coherent anymore.

Riven walked further ahead before he noticed that the shuffling of feet had stopped behind him. He turned around, feeling a bit nauseous. Will stood in place, holding his head. His face was red and he kept swinging back and forth. "Will. What are you doing? Get a move on."

"Gray…I…feel…dizzy. I just w-want to rest." Then, he crumpled to the ground. Riven ran up to him. He had fainted. The heat had gotten to him. He was a child, Will was much more susceptible to heat stroke than he was. He grabbed the water gallon and opened his mouth, pouring some of the liquid into the younger trainer's mouth.

"Will, wake up. We can't stop, come on. Wake up." He slapped him, but the boy was still out of it. He needed some time to get that water through his system. He picked him up and carried him. He continued walking along the rocky ground, giving the boy some water in intervals. The gallon had emptied and they no longer had a fresh supply of water. The urine was undrinkable at this point. It was dark and smelled worse than a rotting corpse. Eventually, Riven passed out too.

* * *

The sound of droplets stirred Riven awake_. _A cool feeling came over his skin. It felt like water. It was impossible, he was in the desert. There was no way. He thought the cacturne would have gotten to him and Will at this point. There wasn't water for miles. He shakily got onto his feet and nearly cried in joy after seeing a pool of water around him. He tasted it. Fresh, cold water. He lapped it up like a parched hound. "That was amazing. But how?"

"_I can answer that_," A strange ethereal voice said. Riven turned around impossibly fast, crouching with his knife held out. He saw Will and a large _thing_, with pink eyes that levitated off the ground next to him. Will's eyes were glowing blue.

"What are you doing to him? Answer me!" He tried to reach where he kept White Queen's pokeball but found that all his pokeballs were missing. _Fuck. There goes that option._

Will's mouth opened and the voice spoke. "_If you are looking for your devices, they are in the other room. We took them for good measure, your friend mentioned you are more than paranoid._"

"Will said that?" Riven lowered the knife. "But he was unconscious."

"_As were you. We found him and you in the desert, about to get devoured by the dark ones._"

"The cacturne?"

"_If that is what you call them._"

"Oh. So you…saved us?"

"_That is an accurate description. We do not normally save humans, but we did it to refuse those creatures of sustenance_."

Riven hissed, full of skepticism. "Oh, how splendid of you."

"_Well, we were more interested in saving the boy than you. We hoped you would perish in the desert but your friend insisted_."

Riven cackled darkly."This is exactly why I'm paranoid. Either everything wants me six feet under the ground or they leave me to brave the elements and die anyway. No surprise there." He folded his arms and started tapping his foot. "Why are you even bothering to talk to me then?"

"_We are going to warn you_."

Riven wasn't having any of this. "If it's some prophecy conspiracy then I don't want anything to do with it. I see the future and all of that ton of crap can stay inside your psychic mind. I don't care. Your future sight can go fuck off."

"_We do not have a prophecy for you. We cannot see your future, because you are not where you belong. We only have a warning._"

"Spit it out then." The long-windedness that these psychic bastards were so fond of was beyond irritating. They needed to get to the point.

"_You do not belong here, you or your ilk. You are an error, an anomaly. You are a danger to this world. Leave, go back_."

"I can't go fucking back!" Riven growled and bristled like a sandslash. "I came here on accident! I was about to die when suddenly I'm here, in the future and everything seems so sweet and nice that my brain felt like it was going to decay. I didn't ask for this. And you know what? I don't feel like going back. So unless you tell whatever legendary son of a bitch accidentally sent me here to send me back, I'm here to stay. Deal with it."

The clay statue levitated in front of him. Riven had a feeling it was getting angry. "_Listen well, ancient darkness. You are evil, a calamity waiting to happen. Your presence in this world can upset the balance _he_ has worked so hard to establish. Do not destroy it._"

"Destroy what? This balance? Where ten year olds can own creatures capable of leveling mountains? Burning villages? That's a disaster waiting to happen! It might have _already_ happened!"

"_You do not belong. We abhor the darkness. But yours is the worst of all. We will let you live, but know this. If you continue along this path, we will not be there to save you. You are an atrocious nightmare._"

"Good. I never asked anyone to. I never needed it. And what's with this darkness? I'm a fucking person. I'm not darkness." What kind of stupidity was this psychic spewing? Darkness? He was just a regular person, not an absence of light. Fucking idiot. He was getting more angry than he should have been.

"_Hmph, you know not what you are. Perhaps you may not be such a malign stain on this land if you contain yourself. Regardless, control it. Do not let it control you. The effects could spell catastrophe. You and the rest of your kind are not welcome here. Stay in the shadows, where your filth belongs_."

"Go to hell."

The statue left the room and Will's eyes returned to normal. He blinked a few times before smiling. "You're awake!" Riven narrowed his eyes.

"Did you hear all of that?"

"Yeah. I don't get what it meant either. I was just a vessel. It couldn't speak to you telepathically like other psychics can."

"Why is that?"

"He said to ask your kirlia."

Riven threw his hands up. "I can't even afford a translator. Guess I have to save up, that thing got me curious. Why are most psychics assholes? And why can't they ever talk straight and not in riddles?"

Will shrugged and looked at him strangely. "What was that part about the future? That part was really confusing."

Riven rolled his eyes. "That's a long story. I'll tell it to you some place else, away from all this strangeness." He looked around the room, its walls were made of carved stone. Water streamed down the sides of the walls and collected into a large pool in the center. It looked ancient, and largely untouched. _No one must have set foot in here for decades._ "What was that thing?"

"A claydol. They're statues made in ancient times that came alive somehow. They've been guarding these ruins for a long time now. Hardly anyone finds them, they're hidden from above and no one is crazy enough to do it on foot. The cacturne usually get to them first."

"Oh. This would be Steven's drea-"

Will stopped him before he could continue further. "Don't tell anyone though, they want it to be a secret."

Riven scoffed loudly, shaking some leftover dust out of his hair. "I won't. I don't want other people to get stuck listening to their baseless warnings of doom and peril."

Will nodded and told Riven to follow him. They left the water room and entered another room, one with stone carvings of people and three beings in the center. Riven's pokeballs were on a stone protrusion near the wall. He retrieved them in a hurry, checking to see if they were all there. His pokemon were safe. He sighed in relief. "What is this place?"

"Don't know. Some history room or something." Riven and Will traced the etchings with their hands, seeing people and pokemon bowing down to the three beings in the center. They looked like…dragons. They must have revered them as gods. The one in the center must have been the creator, Arceus. Riven stared at the picture with eyes full of coldness. _Some god_. The other two didn't look much better.

The two of them explored the ruins. They found nothing but empty rooms and more claydols. They found a seemingly unassuming room when a blue light emanated brightly from Riven's bag. He took out a small blue sphere. It was pulsing brightly, causing the lines in the walls to flash blue as well. Suddenly, the entire ruins lit up in a blue light. The claydols throughout the temple were alarmed. What had the humans done?

The center of the room flashed and the blue lines turned red. The floor opened up and a spear erected from the middle. In it was a red sphere. Will reached out to touch it. Before Riven could stop him, Will touched it and fire engulfed him. The little boy screamed in pain but Riven was unable to do anything. He watched in horror as the screams became louder. Claydols flooded the room. They also watched as a pillar of fire burned in the center.

Riven stared at the floor, dejected. Then he heard a shuffle and looked up to see Will standing up, his body otherwise unharmed. His red eyes glowed slightly and red lines briefly flashed along his arms. Riven was immediately at his side. "Will? What was that?! Are you alright?"

He looked confused and dazed. "I don't know. It was hot and it burned really bad for a bit then…I felt stronger. Warmer. It feels weird, it's like I got a fire in my chest." He placed a hand on his sternum and coughed a few times. It certainly did feel warmer. His forehead was fever hot but he felt completely fine. Better than fine.

The claydols freaked and surrounded them. _What did you do!_ Their voices boomed inside Will's head. They were furious. Riven reached for White Queen's pokeball. She was a dark type, she could tear them apart.

"I just touched it!"

_Why! And how did you do that?_

"The blue sphere lit up!" Will pointed to the sphere in Riven's left hand. He gripped it tighter and snarled. He wasn't giving it up to the claydols.

The statues turned to the sphere, floating instinctively backward. Then, they faced Will again. _You both must leave at once, you've caused too much here. Leave! Now!_

"But how?"

_There is a room in the back of the temple. Make your way there. It will transport you out of the desert. Do not come back, we will end your lives if you do._ Will nodded and led Riven out, making their way towards the end of the temple.

"Where are we going? What did they tell you?" Riven was lost, he had no idea what they had told Will. He could have been leading him to their combined deaths for all he knew. He trusted the psychics as far as he could throw them, which meant not at all.

"To the back of the temple. There's something that can get us out of here. They're beyond pissed. And I don't want to fight that many claydol." Riven clenched his jaw and accepted it. It was the best shot they had at getting out of the desert. He didn't hesitate to take it.

The final room had an ancient looking contraption made of stone. Riven placed the blue sphere in the groove in the center and the contraption lit up, flashing bright blue. They moved all of the pillars in place after some effort and the interior of the room filled with a strange glow, Riven snatched the sphere just in case. Both boys looked around in wonder, before a bright flash lit up the room and they fell onto a rocky floor elsewhere. They stood up in confusion, spitting out dust and coughing. They appeared to be outside now.

"That was…different," Riven mentioned, dusting himself off while holding his head. It felt like some sort of teleport, but it was different somehow, in a way he couldn't explain. It just felt so strange.

"Yeah," Will agreed.

They turned back and saw the desert behind them. They looked at each other before erupting into joyful laughter. "We're out! YES!" Riven punted a pebble into the sky. Will jumped up and down, nearly crying in happiness. That was the strangest thing that had ever happened to them but they didn't care, they were glad just to be out of that desert. They were so caught up in celebrating that they didn't notice a truck roll up next to them.

"I don't fucking believe it. I don't believe! ARCEUS DAMNED!" The trucker that they had seen before their unfortunate trek through the desert was staring at disbelief in them. There were some trainers in the back, unsure why he had stopped. He got out of the driver seat and went to both of them. "I thought you two were dead! We went looking for you for days! That sandstorm didn't let us come back for you and when we did, you were gone!"

Both trainers looked dumbfounded and blinked furiously, trying to make sense of what he was saying. "We searched and searched but found nothing. The rescue teams thought you two died. They thought the cacturne got you. You both look like hell chewed you up and spit you out, how are you both still alive?"

Riven and Will both said at the same time, "That's…a long story."

The trucker was furious. He was shouting at Riven at the top of his lungs. "How could you be so stupid! You left the truck and thought you could just stake it out? How stupid are you?!" Abandoning the truck? Trying to survive on limited water and food in a desert full of cacturne? What in their right minds could have convinced them that was a good idea?

"I didn't think you'd come back! There was a sandstorm and a fucking flood! The truck was GONE. It's buried under sand right now! What else was I going to do? Sit there and wait for hypothermia to kill us both? What about the cacturne? Don't patronize me for improvising! We're alive and that's what matters! Get off my back!"

The trucker breathed deeply. "Why wouldn't we come back? We always do. We don't leave trainers on their own." Why did this boy think so little of them? Was he that cynical?

Riven's jaw clenched. When he had gotten stranded in the wilderness, no one had ever come back for him. He was always on his own. He didn't depend on anyone, because they never came for him. It was a rule. He thought they would do the same. "I'm used to being left to my own devices. I didn't know you would search for us. If I had known, I might have stayed. But I didn't, and I'm not sorry."

The man took off his hat and scratched his balding head. "Fine. But you don't have to worry about me. Worry about them." He pointed to a mess of reporters and news vans. One of the trainers had mentioned Will and Riven's story to their parents and the story spread like wildfire. Now, there were news crews outside of the trucker's cabin on the Lavaridge side of route 111.

Will peeked out of the blinds and jumped. He shuddered. "Reporters…those bloodsuckers." Riven raised a brow.

"What's so bad about them?"

"The better question is what's _good_ about them. They just ruin trainer's lives! And stalk famous people! That's why being famous blows!" Riven decided it was better to trust Will with this. He had more experience in this world. If he said reporters ruined lives, he wasn't eager to find out.

They stepped outside and were assaulted by questions and camera flashes. Riven stepped back inside. He looked horrified. The trucker burst out laughing. "What's wrong? Ye scared? Such a skitty haha!"

"They're…they're crazy!"

The older man was peeling a potato. "Welcome to the life of a celebrity. Even though you two are less celebrities and more, I-can't-believe-it momentarily famous. Hardly anyone has survived in that desert for that long, on foot at least. Go face em boy! They'll forget about ye in a couple days. Then you'll be back to being ghosts. Nobody is gonna give two shits about ya." He pointed at the door, nearly shoving him out of it with his gaze. Riven swallowed and straightened his nerves.

He joined Will, who was answering some questions while trying not to get overwhelmed by the reporters. He turned around just to get a microphone shoved in his face.

"What are your thoughts on the ordeal and what were your chances of survival after the sandstorm?"

"What's your name?"

"What's your connection to the little boy? Are you-" That reporter was cut off by Will, who immediately silenced Riven with a hand wave.

"He's my brother. Nathan Ethne. I'm Will Ethne." Riven looked at him funny and Will shot him a glance that said _play-along-or-else_. He did and a _long_ period of answering questions followed. Riven was in his last interview.

"So, how did you escape the desert? You didn't just walk out here did you?"

Riven grinned. He picked up the attitude pretty quickly after some advice from Will. He hated doing this fake charisma thing but if it got the reporters off their backs, he had to. "Vibravas." He waved goodbye and left with his 'brother' back to the cabin. Once inside, Riven glared at Will. "So, I'm your brother now huh."

"You really want to tell them your real name?"

"Not really. So I'll let this one go."

"Great. Then we can get some sleep and head through the Fiery and Jagged Paths to Lavaridge. Good night." He jumped onto the bed and went lights out. He had done more interviews than Riven did. He certainly could see why he was so tired, the reporters were annoying and gave Riven headaches.

The older trainer's holo caster buzzed. He checked the caller identification, it was Samuel. He stepped outside to take the call. "Hello, Sam. What did you need?"

The old man's image appeared and he smiled. "I saw you on TV! That must have been tough. Surviving something like that. I'm glad you're okay kid."

"Hah. It'll take more than some sun and stalking cacti to kill me." They talked for an hour, about the ordeal and his plans after that. He said goodnight to the friendly old man and headed off to bed_._ He closed his eyes and within moments, he joined Will in restful sleep he hadn't gotten since Irene's. Riven hoped there would be no more things trying to kill him, but that was asking for way too much.

* * *

A screen came on, showing a man in a uniform with his face blackened out. "Director, the blue light came from the desert. They may have found one."

"Who?"

"The two boys from earlier."

The director recalled the news report about two boys who survived a trek through the desert."I see, find them."

"Another thing."

"Yes?"

"The older one, it's him."

"Him who?"

"The one back from Petalburg, I recognize that grin. I couldn't possibly forget it."

"Is that so? Well then, beat the information out of them, then get rid of the older one." This way, he would achieve two objectives at the same time.

"Yes sir. Heading to Lavaridge soon. We will not disappoint you."

"Good. Or you'll end up like that _failure_. Bring me results."

"Yes, sir. Together as one."

"Together as one."

The screen shut off, leaving the director in silence. He adjusted his tie, he had a speech to make.


	22. Geysers and Springs

"We could have skipped the desert entirely! Route 112 is right there!" The irritated teenager stabbed a finger at the map, right on route 112.

"No, not really. That entrance to route 112 has been blocked off by a huge hole. A tyranitar went crazy there and caused a sinkhole. So now the trainers have to pass through the desert and through Fiery Path before getting to Lavaridge. Then go back through to head up to Fall'rbor. Terrible inconvenience. I ain't complaining though, I make a nice buck transporting kids to and fro. But you boys gave me one hell of a scare." The trucker, whose name was Bear, mentioned. He was filling his truck up with gas to go back to Mauville and transport some more trainers. "You guys should go, I'm locking this place up."

Riven groaned loudly. He realized he was complaining like a child, but he had just survived through days of hell in a desert. Couldn't they give him a break? Will simply shook his head and dragged him along outside. More walking. Riven certainly missed his bike right about now. His blisters probably had blisters at this point.

The next few days were full of battling, avoiding flamethrowers, dodging landslides and trying not to fall down onto sharp rocks. Riven had exhausted his stores of potions and had attempted to catch a slugma, but failed and it managed to slink away. Will laughed at him and kept boasting about his epic catch in the desert. Mt. Chimney had also been an interesting sight to see, and the cookies were tasty. Riven tried to take a picture but ended up tinkering with the holo caster before Will snatched it and did it for him. Will was very vocal about Riven's technological backwardness. He was like Ben, but about two times worse, with twice the insults.

The volcano was spewing out hot air and nearly everyone in the vicinity was pouring sweat, except Will. That was peculiar but brushed it off. They stood over the railing for a few minutes before deciding that lava bubbles weren't all that interesting and headed down the jagged pass. There were plenty of hikers and backpackers, Riven half expected to see Ben there too. But he didn't. By the time they managed to climb down the mountain, they had scrapes and cuts on their knees and forearms from one too many falls. Riven had to get new clothes, his were ripped and in bad shape. Will wasn't doing too good in the clothing department either.

All of their pokemon managed to get some experience battling the hikers along the way though, which was good. They also had pocket money for a change in attire, which was sorely needed for resupplying. New bags of formula and potions were in dire demand for both of them. As they saw Lavaridge in the distance, Will opened up the travel guide. "It says they have a hot spring. It heals wounds and relieves stress." He gave Riven a judging glare. "You definitely need it, paranoia extraordinaire."

Riven smirked, pulling Will's hat downwards. "I still don't think it'll help. Besides, I'm kind of craving something first." Watching a spoink bounce around in front of a building was _not_ helping.

Will pulled his hat back up and gave him an annoyed glance. "And what is that?"

"I want a burger so much I can't stand it. Eating dried meat and pokemon formula for so long grates on the nerves." He wanted real food, not that dry excuse they had been surviving on for a while in the desert. They couldn't even gorge themselves either, since they had to ration it.

"Yeah, I hear you. Maybe they have a restaurant in town?"

"I guess we'll see."

The town wasn't all that large. The gym and the hospital were the biggest buildings in the town, with numerous smaller buildings surrounding them. A canal divided both sides of the town and lead into the hot spring area, behind the pokemon center. Many of the people there were trainers and old people. The travel guide said that most old people moved there to retire. It did seem like a tranquil place to retire and die. Well, maybe putting it like that was a little harsh, but it was true. It made sense why the hospital was so big. Riven cackled darkly. He explained the humor to Will, he wasn't pleased, calling him a sick bastard. Well, he tried.

As they approached the center, people were talking about some sort of rumor. They did draw stares, after their encounter with the media. But many of the town's residents and trainers were talking about a skarmory attack near Fallarbor. It had slashed three people to death before being brought down by two passing trainers. The rangers had taken it into custody and put it down already. The three victims were having a funeral in two days. It sounded like wild pokemon were getting increasingly hostile. After scyther and cacturne though, Riven wasn't even fazed. They just continued about their business.

They stepped through the automatic doors and left their pokemon with Nurse Joy. They were pretty beat up after taking many a rock throw to the face. Aine had been stone edged and knocked unconscious. Nez had gotten an unfortunate flame wheel and had a rather nasty burn, he was out cold too. Rika had gotten some experience and Will was able to teach her rock tomb. Now two of his pokemon had a move that could pulverize shiny new bikes. Riven felt for his poor GX135.

Will got his pokeballs back and took out the one with a fire symbol on it. "Maybe I should let Quil-"

"NO," Riven shouted loudly. "No. Not after Petalburg. We don't want to get kicked from this pokemon center too. Nez and Rika are fine, but Quil stays in his damn pokeball. That pyromania is hazardous." Will pouted, it didn't work on stone face Gray unfortunately. His little kid wiles had no effect. They entered the rental room and set their things down. Well, they didn't have many things but they left what they didn't need. It was still early out so they just left the center and explored town.

They found the clothing store and spent a total of one hour inside. Will and Riven spent more time observing a girl walking in and out of the fitting rooms with different clothes. "You think it's a girl thing?" Will speculated as the girl twirled around in front of the mirror, judging how good the skirt looked with the top.

"I'm not sure. Women are strange creatures. They're hard to figure out." Riven didn't understand women. Well, he didn't have much experience with them anyway. He'd only talked to about three in his time here. Amy, Irene, and Roxanne. He never talked to them for more than like five days so they were really unknown territory for him. The attitude though? White Queen gave him enough punishment to somewhat formulate an assumption.

"Oh, she's shaking her head." She went back into the fitting room, the girl had like five sets of skirts and tops on the bench. Will couldn't understand why the girl had so many outfits if she wasn't going to buy them all. Window shopping was so pointless."What's she going to try on next?" he sneered. The kid was having a much better time with this than Riven was.

Both boys were snickering pretty hard after she went in three more times, stopping short of laughter. They watched her for about thirty minutes. They had already bought all of their clothes within minutes of arriving. Fits and looks good? Alright, great. But females were just outrageous. They couldn't decide what the hell they wanted. In fact, most of the store consisted of females and the unlucky boyfriends that got stuck with them. Male trainers usually left the store quickly.

Riven chose an outfit similar to his old one. This time he went with a white vest hoodie and a plain black shirt. He bought khaki pants to go with it. He stayed with the same shoes and gloves though. They weren't that beat up. Will replaced his red jacket with a black one that had a red stripe through the middle. He didn't replace his hat but he chose some black cargo shorts, his other shorts were beyond repair.

Leaving the boutique or whatever fancy name they called it, the two boys went over to a restaurant that had a big hamburger sign on it. Riven had brought out White Queen from her pokeball because she got pushy if he didn't for a while. She had given him hell on the way to the Fiery Path after not letting her out during the desert. That ice beam wasn't fun at all.

A trainer at the counter was ordering his meal. "I'll have a number three."

"For here or to go?"

"Here please." Suddenly, he caught a glimpse of Riven's absol and immediately turned back to the cashier. "On second thought, I'll uh, take that to go." Half of the restaurant emptied within the next two minutes after that.

Riven and Will looked around, missing something. Why did everyone just get up and leave? When Riven went up to order, the cashier kept staring at White queen. "Hey, I want to order. Can you stop staring at her? She gets ice beam happy when people do that." The absol in question was playing around with a plastic soda covering with her paw. The teenager frowned, the threat had instantly lost it's threatening factor.

"Oh, ummm…sorry. What would you like?" She looked nervous, like he was going to stab her. If he wanted to, he wouldn't have warned her. He wasn't a cold blooded murderer, he had _some_ morals.

"A number one for me and a number four for my friend here." It was faster ordering at the same time. Riven also ordered the glass poke cola bottle, since it seemed to bring out the flavor more. Will argued that it was a placebo effect but Riven insisted that it tasted better in glass. They bickered about the subject until the food arrived.

Rika stood silently next to Will. She didn't react much. In fact, she was about as close to a statue as a pokemon could get, and she wasn't even a rock type. She only opened her jaws when her trainer fed her. Otherwise, all she did was stare. It was a soul piercing stare too. Riven tried having a staring contest with her, which he lost miserably. He focused on other things."Will, when do you want to go challenge the gym leader?" That was their primary objective after all.

He was stuffing his face full of hamburger and fries. "Wha? Hord on. I'm…eating." He swallowed his mouthful after chewing rapidly. "Tomorrow I guess. We just got here. There's no need to rush." He fed Rika a handful of fries. She didn't show any signs of happiness or disdain. "Besides, I want to hang out in Lavaridge for a while. Hot springs you know." They were a miracle supposedly, he had to find out if the claims weren't just exaggerations specifically aimed at tourists.

"Alright, tomorrow sounds acceptable. Is she tough?" Riven honestly had no idea. He only heard that Flannery was beautiful. Mostly from the male trainers who turned into swooning messes whenever he asked about the gym leader. The female ones mostly made jealous comments in a very curt tone. Granted, his direct questioning without introductions intimidated them often. They didn't like him much, it only made sense that they tried to get him to leave as fast as possible.

"Well, she's a fire type leader. Rika should have no problem if I use her. She's pretty high leveled, being in the desert. Pretty big for a trapinch, so she might evolve soon." He put a hand on her jaws, Riven waited for her to open them and snap Will's thin arm in half. It didn't happen. Ah well, one could dream. "You might have some trouble. Aine won't be of much use, Mischief will only do normal damage and White Queen's moveset doesn't have any type advantages over any of Flannery's. You're gonna have a real battle on your hands." Will took another bite out of his burger.

"That's the fun part, is it not? Exploiting type advantages is easy but it doesn't seem very appealing. Use a water pokemon and sweep her team? No, the badge doesn't feel that great when you do that. I remember using Mischief in Brawly's gym. Didn't feel the same as earning Roxanne's badge." He still felt a sense of pride whenever he opened his badge case and saw it there.

"How did you beat her? I didn't have much of a hard time thanks to Nez but you don't have any grass or water pokemon." Will knew that most fire starters had trouble with her, that's why he caught a grass pokemon early on.

Riven grinned smugly. "Through tactical decisions and a stroke of evolution. Aine evolved mid-fight and beat Roxanne's last pokemon into the wall...literally. I seriously gave up hoping that I'd win until she evolved and went crazy." The younger boy made an 'ow' face and remembered that torchic evolved into a part fighting type, his cyndaquil didn't. That's what he got for having a Johto starter instead of a Hoenn one. His focus was broken when White Queen froze a bunch of fries after burning her tongue with one.

Will watched her failure and teased, "Some tact haha!" White Queen bit him, drawing some blood. "Ow! Rika! Why didn't you stop her?"

"Pinch." She wasn't going to mess with an absol that knew ice beam. She wasn't stupid.

"Traitor." Rika stayed silent and motionless after that, White Queen went back to eating her fries and Riven was nearly done with his food. "Say, why does everyone give your absol the evil eye?"

"She's the disaster pokemon. Go figure. These people are probably a bit superstitious, being in close proximity to Forina." White Queen looked up at him."I guess whenever they see an absol come down here, it comes across as a major 'oh shit' symbol." She took offense to that and bit him as well. Although, Riven was quite used to it already.

"Explains why nearly everyone left then."

Riven saw a girl take a picture of her food. He made a face and pointed in her direction."That girl just took a picture of her food." It looked really out of place. Why was food so important that people took pictures of it?

Will glanced to the side and saw the girl tapping away at her phone. Not everyone had holo casters. Some people preferred cell phones still. Holo casters and phones were compatible so it was no problem. "Oh yeah, people do that."

"Why?"

"I don't know. Some social media thing."

"That's completely stupid. Eat the thing, don't stare at it."

"I agree."

"Whatever. You done?"

"Yeah. Let's go to the springs!" Riven felt like objecting but he humored the kid instead, the town didn't have much places of interest. He reasoned he could use some sort of reprieve after all that walking and battling as well. And it would probably get rid of the smell of ash and smoke in his hair.

* * *

Amy and Seab's pokemon were being treated for injuries in Fallarbor Town. They had stopped that wild skarmory from tearing more people apart. However, Seab's lucario had taken a nasty aerial ace to his left side, making a sickening gash. Jak got part of his wool sheared off during a passing the skarmory did with a steel wing and just managed to use thunder to bring it down. Veer and Seab's staravia hadn't done much to it, since it's typing and steel coating pretty much made physical attacks useless. Mila didn't have any moves that could seriously hurt it and it was significantly stronger than what was normally found in the area. Not only that, but skarmory were rare in Fallarbor. Usually there was a bunch of spinda around, not murderous steel birds that slashed people to pieces.

Amy's phone rang. It was Irene, her mom. "Hey mom." She was in the food court with Seab, so she could take calls. The pokemon center wasn't very full anyway, Fallarbor was pretty small, it wouldn't bother many people if she spoke on the phone. If it did, they could fuck off, she could talk on the phone if she damn well pleased. She was a big girl after all.

Her mom's voice boomed. "AMY! DID YOU SEE THE TV?" Amy moved the phone away from her ear, hoping her eardrum hadn't burst. "I've been trying to call you for a week!"

"Mom. Calm down. You nearly made my ear explode. What's got you so worked up?" There were no reporters in Fallarbor, so she couldn't have known she nearly died trying to take down that skarmory. She was probably calling her to tell her about some new artistic inspiration or another egg from the daycare her dad found. The blonde shook her head and took a sip from her soda.

Irene sounded excited and worried at the same time. "Your friend Gray came out on TV!" Amy spat her drink out forcefully, drenching Seab. He scowled in annoyance while wiping his face with a napkin. Did she just hear that correctly? Did she just mention _his_ name?

"HOW DO YOU KNOW HIM?" Now she was the one nearly screaming. How did she know about Gray? She hadn't told her about him. Unless…shit.

"He came over looking for you about three weeks ago. Nice boy, if a little awkward and stiff. I let him stay here for a night because of a thunderstorm. He asked about you." Yup, her fears were realized. Why had she told him she lived in Mauville? Fuck!

"WHY THE HELL DID YOU LET HIM IN?"

"Is it a problem? Is he your boyfriend or something? Why didn't you tell me? He denied it pretty thoroughly, but you're giving me doubts Amy."

"He's not my boyfriend mom! He's just someone I'd like to forget." Great, now it did sound like they had a thing. Amy waited for her mom's crass.

"One night stand? You _are_ eighteen dearest daughter. Teenagers do some crazy things. I hope you used protection! I don't want to be a grandma yet." There it was.

"NO!" One night stand with him? Arceus no. Sure, he was somewhat pleasant to look out, ignoring the scars and face of iron, but she would never think about doing something like that.

"You didn't? Oh my god."

"I meant no to the one night stand! I haven't let any guy touch me that way!

"Then what's the issue?"

Amy decided to come clean, it was no use trying to make up excuses without making herself look like some sort of slut. She sighed, "He's dangerous."

Irene wasn't convinced."Didn't seem like it. He was more like a lost growlithe puppy than an enraged gyarados to be honest." Gray and growlithe puppy didn't even belong in the same sentence. It was like comparing Hoenn and Unova. Stupid isolationists.

"Mom, you don't know. Just…just don't tell him where I am."

"Ok, but where are you?"

"Fallarbor. Uh...what was he on TV for?" She changed the subject quickly, not wanting to elaborate on her issues with him.

"He got stuck in a desert for longer than a week with another trainer. He got so dark. That desert sun must have baked them pretty bad. Both of them looked terrible." She hardly recognized him, he looked really red and sunburned, not his usual pale tone.

"He got stuck in the desert?" Amy didn't think he'd go and get himself into something like that. But she wasn't really surprised he wasn't dead.

"Yeah, why?"

"Because he's a survival nut, if anyone could have survived, it would be him." He _did_ say he spent most of his life in the wilds. He should have known a thing or two about desert survival.

"Oh! He also mentioned you tried to blackmail him." Amy choked. Gray had absolutely no sense of tact. Decent people didn't say those things! Well, she always had a feeling he was a savage.

"Erm…a bit?"

"That's my girl! Keep it up!" Her mom clicked and left Amy sitting in the diner fuming. Seab gave her a wary look. Amy was volatile at times, she cussed out a hiker on the jagged pass for hitting on her. Then she absolutely smashed a guy that tried to mug them on route 111. She was more than a little scary. But she was a good battler. They worked together to take down the skarmory. It was unfortunate that they weren't there to save the three victims though.

"Who are you avoiding?" Seab asked shyly. He was trying not to ignite her fuse. That poor hiker's…family jewels were, needless to say, no longer functional. It hurt him just to watch.

Amy dug into her food furiously before swallowing and sighing in defeat. "Gray. A guy I met near Oldale. I thought he was a quiet guy that was just an above average battler. I didn't know he was like some sort of special ops commando. I saw him kill three guys on TV without hesitation. I still see that video in my dreams."

Seab fit the pieces together and his eyes widened. "No way. Petalburg? THAT WAS HIM?" The guy in the video totally beat the living shit out of all of the guys. Six guys taken out by one man. This Gray was dangerous, that throat stomp was brutally effective enough proof of that.

"Yeah."

"Whoa. That was scary. That last part at the end though…it gave me goosebumps through the screen. That was terrifying." Seab was talking about the beating near the end of the clip. The man's face had been left like a piece of bloody meat that had been smashed one too many times. He remembered flinching and looking away from the screen in the pokemon center in Rustboro. All of the trainers in the center gasped at that very moment. Nurse Joy had to turn the TV off.

Amy poked some lettuce with her fork. "Yeah, it was." She paused for a moment, trying to mentally track the movements of a trainer on the gym circuit. "He's probably at Lavaridge now. It takes some time to get through the jagged and fiery paths. So, they should be about a week or two from coming here then heading back down to Petalburg to battle Norman. Unless they get sidetracked. We should leave before then."

"You really don't want to see him again do you?"

Amy looked unsure of herself. "I don't know. I wouldn't know how to face him. It's just…he killed people, Seab. You don't let something like that go lightly."

The sinnohan stared out the window, avoiding her gaze."I guess not."

Amy stabbed her fork through her salad like a spear."If I do see him again, I'm going to chew him up." She ate viciously. He said nothing and went back to his burrito.

"You do that. I'll just watch…" Seab was worried about Ren, his lucario. That gash was terrible and he almost bled out on the floor. He was in rapid recovery right now. He wouldn't be battle ready for nearly a week. Seab sighed, he needed another pokemon. Comet was good but he needed something else. A pokemon around here would have to do.

"You're worried about Ren aren't you."

"Yeah…he was my starter. If something happened to him, I think I'd break. I've had him since he was a riolu. We grew up together. He's my best friend." Amy smiled weakly, she knew she couldn't really reassure him. His lucario was in bad shape right now. He wasn't in critical condition since they had gotten to him pretty quick but he would have a nasty scar. Scars. That reminded her of Gray. Now she understood why he was so beat up. He was like a soldier or something. But eighteen and trained? There was no way. He didn't make any fucking sense. "I need another pokemon." Seab's comment broke her train of thought and refocused it somewhere else.

"Which one did you have in mind?"

"I'm not sure. But I need one that isn't weak to flying types or fire. You saw how hard Comet fought with Flannery."

Amy remembered that fight. It had been tough. Ren wasn't effective at all and got knocked out pretty fast. Comet had to clutch_. It seems like Seab's pokemon are experts at doing that_. Amy got an idea. "You can catch a dragon!" Dragons were very strong and had excellent type coverage and resistances.

Seab's jaw dropped. "Sorry, WHAT?" He wanted to make sure he heard right. Seab laughed and thought he misheard.

"A dragon!" Amy smiled wholeheartedly.

No, he heard correctly. Red flags sprang up in his mind. He waved his hands and shook his head. "Oh no. I hear they're difficult to train." On top of that, he wasn't looking forward to dragon fire burns.

"Nonsense. Mila here is nearly dragon, and look at her." Amy pointed up to where Mila was firmly perched on top of her head, snoozing. Her wings twitched occasionally.

Seab frowned. "But I don't think I want a swablu." The cotton bird was the antithesis of menacing. Dragons were supposed to be awesome and deadly. Swablu and altaria just…weren't. He knew they could be pretty powerful but...no.

"Well, I hear there's bagon in Meteor Falls. That means if you evolve them, they'll turn into a salamence,"Amy said that in a salesmen like way. But it actually managed to make Seab feel even worse. He _heard_ about salamence. Extremely aggressive and deemed too dangerous to approach. Only idiots tried to catch fully grown wild salamence. That's why they went after the baby bagon instead. But mothers were fiercely protective and many trainers often got roasted trying to snag a baby. The regional officials had specifically warned trainers _not_ to go near there. Meteor Falls was one huge, enormous, preposterous no.

Seab tried the logical approach. "I don't think that's a good idea. Especially with neither of us having an ice pokemon. And you'd have to evolve Mila first if you want her to take on a salamence." Mila heard her name, salamence, and take on. She freaked out.

"SWAB! SWABLU-BLU!" She flapped her wings rapidly and frantically, demonstrating her disapproval. Salamence were intimidating and strong. She wasn't ready to die yet, she had so much to live for!

Amy had to hold the cotton fluff ball in place so her claws wouldn't shred her scalp apart. "Okay, Mila. You're not going to fight any salamence just yet. But when you evolve you'll be a fierce dragon too!" She stroked the swablu's soft cottony wings while cooing at her. That appeased her enough to prevent her from digging her claws into Amy's skull.

Seab coughed, grabbing Amy's attention. "I'm going to go see how Ren's doing." He stood up and left. The trainer looked really worried about his pokemon. Amy wondered what she would do if one of her pokemon got hurt like that. Would she kill like Gray? She didn't think she could.

* * *

"I'm going to kill something," Riven growled.

Will and Riven were at the gym entrance. The receptionist at the doors couldn't stop laughing at them both. This was their third day at the gym and they had spent an hour trying to get through the stupid geysers and holes, completely drenched and pissed off. "I hate this place!" Both of them yelled. Three days and they had yet to get to Flannery. Both of them had beaten numerous gym trainers along the way, but couldn't seem to figure out how to get to the gym leader. They quit the past two days out of pure frustration.

Hence why they were sitting at the entrance, brooding. Once again. "Why do they have to design gyms like this? Wattson's was at least straightforward, if a bit painful. Brawly's was just dark, that was no problem. I walked around all the gym trainers," Riven grumbled, death glaring the receptionist down. His mocking laughter started to irritate him.

"I had some trouble with that. I couldn't even see, I kept crashing into walls," Will muttered.

Riven snorted. "I can see well in the dark."

"That's good, since you would probably fail at making a flashlight work anyway." The older trainer hissed at Will, little boy was going to get murdered soon. "Let's try again," Will said, picking himself up and getting rid of some dust on his new shorts.

"Fine." They stood up, going over to the nearest geyser before shooting up a floor. "I really hate these geysers." Will huffed and fell through a hole, Riven followed him. At this point, they were just randomly picking holes and geysers. After nearly forty minutes of dropping through holes and getting launched up by uncomfortably hot water, the two trainers arrived in a room they hadn't been in before. A girl was standing at the end, fiery red hair tied behind her head.

Riven whispered, "Is that the gym leader?" Will nodded.

"Why are we whispering?"

"I don't know." The older trainer kept staring, almost in a trance.

Will looked at Flannery then back at Gray, noting that he wasn't giving her a regular stare. He grinned from ear to ear, knowing what was going on.

"You're checking her goods out, aren't you." It was so obvious. He was analyzing her like most guys did when they saw something they liked.

Riven snapped out of it and gave Will a piercing leer. "No." The boy was right of course, but Riven didn't want to admit it. He wanted to keep what dignity he had left.

"Liar."

"Argh. Fine. She's attractive." Riven turned a shade of pink. It went away quickly though, he had self control, unlike Ben. He was a horndog that nearly slobbered back in Slateport when he saw girls in their "swimsuits".

"Mhmm. Half of Hoenn is obsessed with her. The other half is obsessed with Winona." Riven blinked. "You're hopeless. Winona is the sixth gym leader in Fortree City," Will explained, a little exasperated with his traveling partner's cluelessness. He couldn't even work a toaster, now he had to explain fan clubs to him too? It was ridiculous.

Flannery saw the two boys discussing something and called them over. "You two going to challenge me? I have to go pack soon!" Both of them nearly ran up to the ring.

"Pack for what?" The older one said.

"Gym leader meeting in Lilycove. You two are my last challengers before I close the gym up. So give me a good battle okay?" The redhead smiled and put her hands on her hips.

Riven was thinking something else when Will shoved him. "Yeah, we want to challenge. Your gym is a nightmare by the way." Both trainers were soaked and irritated, they wanted to get this over with.

Flannery laughed. "You haven't seen anything yet. Just try going through Tate and Liza's gym without punching a wall. Or Juan's. You'll get bruises for sure. So, double battle then? It's faster." Riven brightened, he loved double battles. Will smiled viciously.

"Ok! Two on two. You each get two pokemon. Pick wisely. Ref! Get a move on!" The referee ran to the side of the ring and held up two flags. He did the rundown of the rules and announced both parties and so and so.

Flannery, Riven, and Will released their pokemon. Flannery was using a camerupt and a magcargo. Will was using Rika first, and Riven sent out Mischief. The gym leader looked surprised. "You're not using water pokemon?"

They looked at each other strangely. "No. Do we have to?" It seemed like she wanted them to. Exploiting type advantages against specialized trainers was a bit of a dick move in retrospect. The gym leaders had to take it all the time, it must suck. No wonder most of them had some sort of trump card or a "surprise bitch" move in their arsenal.

"No, it's just…everyone uses them against me. It's rare not to see trainers without a water pokemon steamrolling my team." She smiled weakly.

"What's the fun in that?" Riven mocked, flashing a grin that was all teeth. Will couldn't help but join in.

Flannery grinned back. "I guess you're right. Magcargo, light screen! Camerupt, lava plume!" She used the distraction to attack, she wasn't going to show any restraint it seemed.

An inferno of flames advanced towards Rika and Mischief. If they got hit with that, they would probably get one downright _nasty _burn. Luckily, the pokemon thought quickly. Rika disappeared into the ground and Mischief was already gone. The wall of flames washed over the spot where the two pokemon had been standing, scorching the ground. No pokemon were present. Flannery scratched her head. "Huh?"

Rika dug up under the Magcargo and shot out of the ground, hitting it square in the face. The light screen couldn't do anything to block the attack and the fire type was sent flying to the side. Flannery's camerupt turned and bellowed flames but Rika was already back underground. It was about to use earthquake when Mischief materialized right next to it and blasted it with a confusion. The light screen weakened the force of the attack and only staggered the fire pokemon. Mischief teleported back, joining Rika on the challenger side. They were only getting started.

A long battle and several burns later, Will and Riven walked out of the gym holding their heat badges. Flannery congratulated them both on the battle. She asked them to help her clean up the gym, since it had taken quite the beating during the battle. Will kept teasing Riven about checking Flannery out. Whenever she bent down, Riven just stared. She didn't seem to notice, focusing more on cleaning the gym since she was on a tight schedule. It wasn't his fault he kept sneaking glances. He blamed it on being a teenager.

After helping her clean up, they healed their teams and decided to go get some celebratory food at the usual restaurant. There were some trainers there too and this time Riven's absol wasn't there to scare them away. He kept her in her pokeball this time. The people in Lavaridge were far too superstitious. They learned about the terror of the absol from an old lady near the hot springs. Apparently, the last time an absol came down to Lavaridge, the volcano erupted, destroyed a forest and cut off passage to route 112.

The two victors sat down to eat. "That was exciting," Riven said, shoving some fries into his mouth.

Will smirked mischievously. "Which part? The battle or Flannery bending down in front of you? Maybe both! You practically took a mental picture of her boobs haha!" Riven flashed red and flicked him on the head.

"I meant the battle, devil spawn."

Will rubbed his forehead. "Ok, closet pervert." His smug grin became a more prideful one. "Rika was the star of that match for the first half." She was that much closer to becoming a vibrava. Then, he would train her until she became a flygon. That would be amazing.

Riven ignored the snide comment. "Mischief was the support. If it wasn't for him teleporting Rika out of the way, that solarbeam would have knocked her out." The attack was surprising, coming from a fire pokemon, a fiery horse no less. Rika wasn't nearly fast enough to dodge it.

"Ok, I'll give you that. But man…I never knew how fierce your absol was." Those razor winds weren't called razor for nothing and White Queen was no slouch with them. One of them cleaved through some of the stands. Flannery wasn't pleased with that.

Riven chuckled. "Told you. She loves battling, and doesn't hold back. And has a tendency to make dramatic finishers."

"That sucker punch on her rapidash was dirty though."

"We won didn't we?" Dirty or not, it was still valid. Flannery did give him an evil eye for it though. White Queen _was_ a dark type, fighting dirty was what she did. What did they expect, a knight in shining armor with an honor code of gold?

"Can't argue with that," Will agreed, drinking some of his soda. "So, what next?"

Riven rested his chin on his fist. "I don't know about you, but I'm heading to Forina after this. I need to get a dawn stone for my kirlia to evolve. And I think I'll do some lengthy training there." Climbing waterfalls was something he hadn't done in a while. He also had to regain some of the mass he had lost from too many days of minimal food, his body was getting a lot leaner.

"I don't really have anywhere else to be." Will didn't have concrete plan about what he was going to do. He was running through the gym circuit but he knew he needed training to face Norman. They said he was a step much higher above the bottom four gym leaders and he didn't hesitate to beat trainers into the ground. Most of the beginner gym leaders had to seriously pull punches to take it easy on the newbies. He'd heard of Norman's crime busts, he was pretty badass. Best part? He was a normal type specialist, that made it twice as awesome. "I guess I'll come with you. I need to train too. And I heard Forina has some pretty strong pokemon. Maybe I can get a fourth and evolve Rika. Hopefully Quil too. Typhlosions. Are. Freaking. Awesome."

Riven smirked. "Oh, getting attached to your 'brother', how sweet." Will threw some fries at him.

"Asshole."

The smirk faded. "It's fine. I can take you along. Besides, I can teach you how to live off the land. You're going to need it." Will scoffed and went back to his food. The older trainer poked Will in the chest after some minutes of silence and chewing. That strange happening in the desert concerned him. It made little sense, the little boy should have been a pile of ashes. "You still feel a fire in there?" Will stopped eating and placed a hand on the center of his chest.

"Yeah, a bit. It's less hot now but it's still there. Remember Fiery Path?"

"I was baking in there. It was so humid it was unbearable. It's unforgettable, why do you ask?"

"I wasn't even sweating." Will said it in a manner that implied a deeper meaning.

"Really? My shirt was drenched."

"It felt good for me."

Riven was puzzled. It was like ninety degrees in there with tons of humidity, how could he not sweat? He did in the desert. What was different? "You were able to sweat in the desert, what's with this sudden tolerance of heat?"

"I think that orb did something to me. When I see fire, I get happy. That's never happened before." It kind of worried him, he was turning into his quilava. He thought he was going to start torching buildings to the ground soon too, and laughing like a maniac after doing it.

"You sure Quil's behavior isn't contagious?"

"I seriously hope not."

Riven and Will chuckled before the former's holo caster lit up. He looked at the ID and frowned. "Hold on, I need to take this."

"Whose it from?"

"Steven Stone, an annoyance. Nobody of importance really."

"What? Are you freaking serious?!" Will freaked, he couldn't believe it. "You have the former champion on dial?! That's insane! Why would he add you? You're a nobody!" Riven's upper lip rose slightly, a slight snarl.

"Thank you for pointing that out. And he was a champion? I didn't know that. I smashed his face into a table when we first met." Will's jaw dropped and Riven answered the call on non-holo mode. "What do you want Stone?"

"I saw your segment on TV. You got lucky."

Riven snorted. "I have no luck. What did you call me for? Really." He knew that the busy body wouldn't be calling him for a mundane reason like that. He didn't like running in circles like those claydols. That conversation was basically incomprehensible, all riddles and no answers.

Steven cut to the chase. That was the good thing about Riven, no formalities or pleasantries. Just straight to the point, all business."Your stone. It's man-made, but doesn't seem to serve any kind of purpose." Honestly, despite it's intriguing composition and structure, it was effectively useless.

"Good. Because I have one for you that does." That certainly got his attention. Steven didn't expect such a nonchalant reaction. Especially not a claim of having another one. If it was an evolutionary stone or some run of the mill stone, he was going to have his aggron have a nice chat with the kid. He took the bait anyway.

"What is it?"

"Blue sphere. Found it in Dewford. Didn't think much of it but after what happened in the desert, let's just say it does a lot more than glow. One last note, don't touch it without gloves. There might be…side effects." Riven didn't feel like discussing what kind of side effects, especially ones like Will's. The abnormal body temperature and sudden pyrophilia were off-putting. Human quilava was scary in it's own right.

"I'll teleport to you right away, where are you? Lavaridge?" Steven was holding his metagross's pokeball. It could jump anywhere in the region, especially a place as familiar as that. Although, Flannery was an embarrassing topic for him, mostly because of Wallace's stupidity.

"Yes, and no."

"What?"

"My friend here told me that you're a former champion. Unless you want to get swarmed by fans, I suggest you do it later. I'm in the middle of a restaurant, e_njoying my food_." Riven knew for a fact that Steven would not appreciate that. The guy was a shut-in, he hated attention.

"Ok fine. I'll call back in thirty minutes. If you don't pick up, I'm going to teleport there anyway."

"Fine. Oh and bring my stone. I want it back."

"Alright." Steven hung up and Riven sighed. Will was begging him for information.

Riven shut him up with a finger."He just called about a stone that I had him analyze a while ago. I'm giving him the blue sphere." He lowered his voice to a whisper. "You know, the desert one." Will understood and nodded. He looked ecstatic, badly wanting to meet the famous champion.

Minutes passed and everything was quiet when three men in black uniforms came in. They looked around the restaurant, searching for someone. Will saw them and noticed their strange behavior. They were looking at the trainers' faces. As a matter of fact, only the boys. As they approached, Will whispered to Riven, "There's some guys in a black uniform heading this way. They're looking for someone, but only the guys, not the girls. Look dangerous too." Riven instantly got paranoid again. His body tensed and he focused his hearing behind him.

"Not him. Black hair. No, not this one. Keep looking_. Has a little boy with him, they're __brothers_."

Riven exhaled slowly, he knew this wasn't going to end well.


	23. Brutality

**Warning: Things are going to get nasty.**

Flannery hummed a tune while packing her things, neatly folding her clothes into a suitcase. She would be staying in Lilycove for a week, going by the five day meeting rule. Every day for five days, the gym leaders would meet in the Lilycove Civic Center with the champion and the elite four on topics concerning regional stability. Flannery usually slept through most of the meetings, as did Brawly. Sidney tried to make it _seem_ like he gave a crap but she caught him nodding off at times too. She was a young gym leader, making her opinion smaller compared to the more experienced leaders like Norman, Juan, or Wattson. Winona also played a large part in the discussions, along with the psychic twins. They seemed to enjoy the atmosphere, Flannery didn't really care. The redhead didn't feel like going in the slightest, but she had to because of her obligations as gym leader.

She sighed thinking about the hours long debates and boring topics they usually discussed there. Dull stuff like crime in their jurisdiction areas, kidnappings, illegal pokemon smuggling, and the recently added topic of unstable trainers. Sinnoh had been a wreck for the entire pokemon world, they still hadn't forgotten about it. The region had barely stabilized but there was a long way to go before things would return to normal. This time though, she knew why they were organizing another gym leader meeting, and it wasn't because of Sinnoh's problems. It was Petalburg, and this one was much closer to home. Everyone had a scare when they discovered that Norman had been shot, but thankfully he was taken to safety. No one found out who that security guard was, or where he had gone. Lavaridge never seemed to have those kinds of problems, being the second smallest gym location in Hoenn, behind Dewford town. It was no wonder why Brawly was so relaxed.

Her torkoal was next to her, being used as a stand to place her clothes so she could fold them neatly. A torchic came running into the room, stopping at her feet to rub it's cheeks on her jeans. It was Cherry, her newest addition. She had just hatched and Flannery couldn't stop pinching her warm fuzzy cheeks. The little chick chirped and jumped on her bed, rolling around with glee. Maybe when she grew some, Flannery could use Cherry in her gym matches. Having a fighting type would surprise some of those pesky weakness exploiters from trying to sweep her teams with water pokemon. Forgetting about battling, she focused on packing. She was nearly done when she heard some banging on the gym door.

Flannery rolled her eyes in annoyance."What do these silly trainers not understand about the gym being closed? Sheesh, it's like trying to talk to brick walls." She took the elevator down to the bottom floor and walked up to the doors. Unlocking them, they opened to a little boy, frantic and out of breath.

She recognized the little boy, he was a resident that lived near the hot springs. He wasn't old enough to be a trainer, so why was he knocking on the gym? "What's up Thomas? Why do you look so out of it?" He looked like someone was trying to kill him. It better not have been those bullies again. If it was, she was going to make them _stop_. This bullying dilemma had been going on for too long; the poor boy was developing trauma.

The child took a few deep breaths, trying to formulate words. After he sufficiently recovered enough to say a word without pausing for air, he said something. What he said caused Flannery to break out into a cold sweat. "Trainers, pokemon...being attacked in the middle of town...Some are dead."

_No. No. Not here._

She didn't respond. Instead, she sprinted back to the elevator up to her room. Nearly kicking the door down, she came into the room, red eyes full of dread. Her torkoal and torchic were surprised. Flannery gathered her pokeballs and returned her torkoal. She turned to Cherry and said, "Stay here. Don't go anywhere. I'll be back. I hope." Flannery left the room and went back down to the lobby as fast as she could.

She wasted no time in letting out her rapidash. Quickly climbing on, the rapidash huffed curiously, kicking sparks with his hooves. "Dash, we need to get to the center of town right now." Her pokemon understood and shot off, leaving a trail of flames on the ground.

_I hope I can get there in time._

* * *

Minutes earlier, the three men steadily approached the back of the establishment, peering at the faces of every black haired trainer in the restaurant. Riven took Will's soda and uncovered the lid. He emptied his own glass soda bottle into Will's cup and placed both containers in front of him. He told Will to stay calm with a flick of the eyes. The little boy listened and pretended to continue eating.

Black boots came closer. Riven heard them check behind their seats and could almost feel their gaze rest on his head. He was the last black haired male trainer in the restaurant. His nerves were on overcharge now, he had to mentally restrain himself from jumping the guys. The men caught sight of Will and whispered in a low voice, "I think this is him." Riven tensed, ready to fight.

The three men stopped in front of them and the one in the middle stared at Riven. "Hey, friend." The black haired trainer didn't look at him and sipped the soda, playing it cool. "I said hey. It's rude not to reply back."

Riven gave them a glare full of hostility. "Do I have to?"

"Whoa, calm down. We just want to be friends. You know, trainer stuff." His grin was far from friendly. Riven was not convinced, they were trying to lure him with fake friendliness. He examined there clothing, all identical and fully black. If there was one fashion rule trainers lived by, it was being unique.

"Trainers don't wear uniforms."

"We like to match."

He suppressed a scoff. Riven knew these guys were armed, and attempting to go for a subtle attack or kill. "If that's the case, what is it you want?" The best plan was to keep them occupied.

"We just want a friendly battle outside, nothin' serious." What did these guys think would happen? Trainers didn't look inside restaurants for battles. Whoever told these guys this was a good idea was an idiot.

"Battling in a public area is illegal." The guidebook specifically said that any who did so would be severely punished and fined. As the men thought of something even more stupid to say, Riven kept watching their hands, looking for weapons. The two behind the one in the middle looked edgy, pouring sweat in an otherwise cool room. They all had that cocky grin plastered on their faces, which didn't help their case.

"So? You don't look like a guy that cares for rules. Lavaridge has no police, just a dumb broad for a gym leader. Sure is hot though." The two behind him nodded and licked their lips.

"Don't talk about her like that." It was disgusting, coming from someone like him. Riven felt like punching his face in for insulting Flannery. She was likeable, nice, and a proficient battler as well; she was not a dumb broad. His knife was starting to feel very friendly.

"Oh, sorry. We know most of you trainers like the gym leaders." Mistake.

Narrowing his eyes, Riven pounced."I thought you were trainers. "

He realized his error and quickly corrected himself. "We are."

"Then how many badges do you have?"

The trio looked unsure of themselves and the guy's smirk fell. He was getting annoyed. This was exactly the thing Riven wanted. Uneasiness makes for slips, and slips mean openings.

"A lot."

"How many?"

"Got six," the middle one replied. He pointed to the two guys behind him. "We all got six."

He was such a bad liar, he could have made an effort to make it convincing, he didn't."Really? Show me the balance badge. I'd like to see how it looks before I go to Petalburg to battle Norman." Riven held tightly onto both the soda cup and the glass bottle.

The man hesitated before agreeing slowly. He was going to make his move. He looked down momentarily, reaching for what Riven presumed was a pistol. "You're no trainers." The man paused and was about to look up when the older boy viciously smashed the bottle against his temple, shattering the glass container and dropping the guy instantly.

Before the other two could react, Riven swung the uncovered cup horizontally, splashing soda into the face of the two guys behind them. As they were stunned, the teenager took advantage and swiftly kneed the one closest to him in the mid section before smashing his face into the table. The third tried to throw a right but Riven slipped to the side and pushed him to the ground. Before he was able to get up, the trainer beat him with a chair until he stopped moving. A girl screamed as she saw blood on the floor.

Riven grabbed Will's arm, who looked more than a little spooked. He was still processing what just happened. "Come on, we need to get the hell out." As soon as they were about to leave, a girl in her mid teens and a boy ran ahead of them.

The doors to the restaurant slid open as a jet of intense black flames engulfed the two trainers and hit the front of the restaurant, scorching the register and the counter. The girl and boy screamed briefly before falling to the floor, severely burned and no longer alive. Riven held Will back, staring wide eyed at the two corpses. He saw his friends burning again. Memories flashed in his mind. Something inside clicked and his mind went blank. Everything was enveloped in a haze, voices became nothing but empty noise. He saw a threat to innocent lives, and he _was_ going to _eliminate_ it.

"Come on out!" The voice came from outside, no doubt from the very men who turned those two unfortunate trainers into blackened corpses.

Will was horrified and tried to hold back Riven with what little strength his thin arms could muster, but it was no use. "Gray, stop! Don't go out there!" He cried.

But Riven's eyes were cold and his face held no hint of emotion. A blue eye looked back at him and Riven shook off Will's hand. He walked out of the restaurant and chucked pokeballs outwards while analyzing the situation outside.

Three men stood on the other side of the town square, a houndoom beside the one in the middle. The other two had a fearow perched on the roof of a store and a seviper that dripped purple venom from it's long red fangs. They were surprised by the trainer's sudden response. "What the fuck? Is he going to fight?"

Mischief materialized and instantly noticed his trainer's feelings. He noticed because there weren't much at all. He picked up complete calm and a very slight feeling of something else. His trainer's face and stance promised murder. As White Queen came out, her horn tingled furiously, shit was about to hit the fan. Aine appeared soon after, grasping the situation in a couple of moments and losing all cheerfulness. It must have been those fighter instincts that she developed when she evolved. She was able to recognize what a fight for sport and what a fight to the death were. The amount of tension in the air told her it was the second one. She quickly jumped on a roof.

The one in between the other two with spiky black hair spoke up, revealing a slasher smile, flashing sharp canines like a wild mightyena."That's how you want to play? Fine. We'll kill your pokemon, then we'll beat the information we want out of you and I'll personally smash your fucking brains out after." He held his hand out. "Kill the pokemon, leave the human alive, but barely."

The fearow shot into the sky while the seviper and houndoom advanced forward to intercept the human trainer and his pokemon. Riven's pokemon responded equally as their trainer ran in a full sprint towards the other three humans on the opposite side of them. The criminals weren't expecting a trainer to get so close and personal, usually the trainers just stood behind their pokemon and barked orders. The trainer dodged acid shots and flamethrowers, having plenty of experience beforehand.

"He's insane! Get him!" The houndoom was the closest to him and jumped, trying to knock Riven down. Unable to dodge, he didn't slow down. He was only focused on ending the three in front of him.

White Queen collided with the houndoom before it was able to pounce on her trainer, biting and snapping at the neck. The dog used it's horns as a ram and headbutted the absol in the ribcage, causing her to recoil back. It inhaled oxygen and felt fire coming up from his center before the absol recovered and slashed him in the snout with her horn. It blinked furiously, howling in pain from the slash and losing the flame it had been building up. She slashed at it again, more so to keep him occupied than anything else. He was driven to a wall of a nearby shop and was about to receive a stab to the neck when the seviper slammed into Haona and sent her to the ground. The snake opened it's mouth, revealing massive fangs before sinking them into the absol's leg, injecting deadly poison.

"Ahh!" Haona cried in pain as the snake pulled it's fangs out; it reered its head back to finish the job when it hissed and fell to the floor, writhing. The absol looked across the square and saw Bib's eyes glowing blue. He was using psychic to control the poison in the snake's body. The seviper cried out as the psychic built pressure inside the organ containing the venom.

"STOP! MAKE IT STOP!" It hissed. Then screamed when the sac ruptured, spilling venom onto its organs, causing them to get broken down by the poison's toxins. It twitched uncontrollably and eventually stopped completely, slowing down as it died. The injured absol looked away and stood up shakily, trying not to put too much weight on the bitten leg.

She panicked, the houndoom was gone. Haona looked around and saw it jump out from behind the kirlia, its jaws clamping down on the psychic's left shoulder making Bib screech in agony. The dog shook its head, tearing more tissues in the shoulder as thick red blood ran down the white pokemon's body. "Baron!" she screamed, kicking up some winds. She had only one shot at this, or he was dead. She waited for the houndoom to expose his neck and let loose a razor sharp gust of wind. It blasted forward, howling like a tornado. "Get off of him!"_  
_

The kirlia was on the verge of blacking out when the houndoom's neck exploded, sending a spray of blood outwards, coating the psychic's body in crimson. The jaws immediately relaxed and the mutt fell to the floor, limp and missing part of its neck. The spectators cried in horror and chaos followed; panicked people ran inside the stores and away from the scene, appalled by the blood. Haona limped weakly over to the injured psychic and helped him lean on her. The poison in her leg would slow her down considerably, she wouldn't be able to move fast enough if an attacker approached them.

"You a-alright, Baron?"

He grinned weakly, holding his left shoulder with his right hand. "You haven't called me that in a long time, Haona. What's the sudden change? Not getting sentimental are you?"

"You nearly died, idiot."

"You're not exactly a spitting image of health yourself."

"I'll manage. But you need help, your shoulder looks terrible and you're barely even conscious as it is. The darkness is making it worse." Blackened spots of flesh where the houndoom's crunch had connected were all over the kirlia's shoulder. The spots were spreading, dark attacks often did that to psychic flesh. They caused considerable pain, which made it difficult for the psychics to focus.

Bib winced. "Yeah, it's pretty bad. Where's our trainer?"

They looked towards the northwestern end of the square and saw their trainer fighting the three men with his fists. He blocked punches and kicks before grabbing one guy's leg, using his right heel to kick in the attacker's right knee, forcing the bone out of the skin and tearing ligaments and muscle. Then, he locked his head with his right arm, twisting it outwards. Riven's muscles flexed and he pulled upwards, snapping the man's neck like a twig. He moved on to the second man and delivered a barrage of rights and lefts before kicking him in the chest and sending him to the floor. The man pulled out a pokeball and threw it behind Riven. Before the pokemon materialized, Riven mercilessly crushed the man's windpipe with a stomp, just like the one in Petalburg. The teenager was then whirled around and received a dizzying strike to the face, disorienting him. His vision blackened for a moment.

"Choke." A machoke stood behind him and grabbed him by the shoulders, effortlessly throwing him into a nearby shop window. The glass shattered and their trainer rolled inside helplessly. The machoke went to go fetch him. Haona and Bib felt like helping Riven but were cut off by a fearow cry, seeing the large bird dive-bomb towards them, wings glowing with a metallic sheen. It was coming in for a beheading. Bib's teleport couldn't teleport a dark type, and the pain of his injury interfered with his ability to focus clearly. They couldn't get away and their movement was impaired due to their injuries. Haona shot an ice beam but the bird easily evaded it. As the fearow swooped in closer, a fireball collided with the bird, sending it crashing into the floor. The ground shook slightly as rocks trapped it in place. Bib used his good arm to release a thunderbolt, shocking the bird unconscious.

Nez and Quil ran up to assist them, followed by Will, their trainer. The quilava was at Haona's side and the nuzleaf was next to Bib. "You would have gotten decapitated if we hadn't intervened," the quilava mentioned. He knew it wasn't the time to be joking but it helped boost their moods, something the absol and the kirlia sorely needed.

The absol laughed. "Don't get… ahead of y-yourself, pyromaniac."" She let out a pained gasp as the poison made the bite burn.

Nez inspected the purple bite marks and grimaced. "You're poisoned. You can't fight like this. I'll see if our trainer can help." He turned to Will and made some hand gestures. The boy nodded grimly, applying an antidote to the absol and a super potion for both her and Bib. A medicine of that strength wouldn't heal them completely but it was enough to keep them going for a little longer. More pokemon were released from their pokeballs; an ursaring, another houndoom, a crawdaunt, a rhydon and an electabuzz.

Quil's flames flared brightly, showing aggression. "Great. Now there's more of them." Rika emerged from the ground next to them. Another pokemon on their side would help, but it wouldn't make much of a difference; all of the enemy's were evolved and much stronger than any of them. "What are we supposed to do now?"

Will saw the pokemon emerge and he knew he had to think quickly. Gray had told him that winning battles wasn't all strength and power, but tactics too. "Nez, Rika, Quil, and White Queen, cover each other while protecting Mischief!" He looked down at the kirlia. "Use thunderbolt, it takes less focus to use than your psychic attacks but don't overdo it okay?" The psychic nodded and yellow sparks danced around his right arm. Will wasn't White Queen or Mischief's trainer but they listened anyway, the situation was too critical to nit-pick something like that.

The five pokemon fought the others off, protecting one another and complementing their weaknesses. A water pulse shot towards Quil, who was busy clashing flames with the houndoom. Haona's ice beam met the water pulse, sending shards of ice in multiple directions. Rika smashed the ground, trapping the houndoom with rocks. "Try getting out of that, dirty mutt." Then the rocks slid off with a ground smash from the rhydon. "Oh, shit." It punched the ground and lifted a piece of earth, then chucked it at them. Quil and Bib combined their attacks and blasted the rock throw into bits, showering the area with dirt and dust.

The ursaring started to charge up a yellow beam in it's mouth. Even if they combined their attacks, a hyper beam would vaporize them. In the confusion, Aine jumped out from the roof of a building and attacked the ursaring with a double kick to the face, following up with a flurry of kicks to the much larger pokemon's legs, making it stumble. The interrupted hyper beam went awry and destroyed a store near the pokemon center. However, the large bear grabbed a hold of the combusken and slammed her into the floor, hearing only a jarring crack as she hit the ground. Aine whimpered in pain before releasing a massive jet of fire into the ursaring's face before it could step on her. She didn't relent until the smell of burnt flesh and fur permeated the air. She tried to stand up but couldn't, her leg was broken and caused her unbearable pain whenever she put weight on it. She was immobilized, unable escape or fight back effectively. Without mobility, she was as good as dead.

The problem was that she was still near the enemy. The crawdaunt doused her with a water gun and the electabuzz released a point blank thunder, shocking the fire type. The water only made things worse. The electricity coursed through her body and prevented her from screaming, she only twitched as the electabuzz continued it's assault. She fell to the ground, still being shocked as she remained on the floor.

Haona noticed and shouted,"They're going to kill her!" She shot an ice beam, only for it to be nullified by a flamethrower.

Quil and Nez saw the combusken being electrocuted to death and cursed, they couldn't do anything from here. The electabuzz finally stopped when Rika dug up under the electric type and hit it with a dig. Bib fought through the pain and used the opening to teleport Aine away from the fight. He reappeared next to the pokemon center, where he passed out from exhaustion, the shoulder injury was too much. He had exerted his body far beyond its threshold. Nurse Joy came out and took both of them in.

"Chansey, take both of them to the emergency medical rooms, NOW!" The two pink pokemon loaded both the kirlia and combusken on a stretcher and wheeled them inside. Nurse Joy went back inside and held her hands out, "No one is to leave the center until this is resolved, understood?" Trainers nodded and began murmuring amongst themselves. Joy went to the counter to lock the doors but two boys managed to slip past, they were two of the more experienced and older trainers. "Wait!"

Only Haona, Nez, Rika, and Quil remained. Then, the other man walked over to the unconscious one on the floor that Riven had knocked out and released all of _his_ pokemon. A gengar, ninjask, weavile, magneton, and crobat appeared. Now they were in a dire situation. They were outnumbered and injured. They fought to the best of their ability but they were outnumbered and stood little chance of winning. White Queen could barely walk, and Nez had taken a fire fang to his side. Rika had been hit with an icy wind, slowing her down significantly. Quil was the only one who wasn't very hurt, suffering only a few cuts and bruises. They were going to lose or die. That is until two other trainers jumped in and decided to help them. They released their teams, enough to match the number of pokemon on the other side.

"Now it's fair," Quil said, seeing a medicam charging an aura sphere. A swampert stomped on the floor and shot a hydro pump, joined by a swellow's air cutter. A duskclops fired shadow balls, blocking incoming ice shards.

Explosions echoed through Lavaridge.

* * *

"What is he doing?"

Steven paced around his room. He had called Riven twice and there was no answer. That was odd, he was usually punctual in answering the phone. The teenager didn't sound particularly spiteful(even if his usual demeanor was heavily sarcastic and rude), so he had no reason to avoid talking to him. Calling two more times, Steven heard the ring all the way until the end and gave up trying to call. His metagross didn't have a lock on Riven, which meant that he would have to teleport to Lavaridge at a general location and find him from there. Before doing that, Steven decided to wait five more minutes. If he received no call back, he would teleport directly there. A little swarming wouldn't kill.

Five minutes passed and there was no call back. Steven had a sinking feeling that something was up. _Riven sounded completely fine in the call, what kind of emergency would there be? I can't help but feel something is wrong. I can't wait. I'm going now._ He summoned his metagross and watched as the large blue psychic levitated into the air.

_Yes, Steven?_

"Teleport to Lavaridge please. I have some business to attend there."

_Understood. Hop on._

Steven climbed aboard the metagross and a pink light enveloped them both. Teleporting a long distance was always strange, and really made Steven nauseous. They arrived in the small town and Steven noticed that there wasn't anyone around in the stores. The emptiness struck him as something out of the ordinary. Lavaridge always had people outside, it was a tourist attraction. Looking upwards into the sky, Steven saw flares of fire, bolts of lightning and ice beams, followed by explosions. _Pokemon battles aren't allowed in public areas. Are they insane? And that's not just one on one…has to be at least a triple. No, this is more than a triple battle. _Then he heard the screams.

The gravity of the situation registered within Steven's brain and he turned to his metagross."We need to-"

_I know,_ the metagross telepathically said. Steven nodded and climbed on again. The large blue psychic flew quickly over to the center square.

What Steven saw next could best be described as a death brawl. There were pokemon ferociously attacking each other in the square, with trainers commanding them to cover each other. There were scorch marks, ice, and blackened lightning impacts in the shops everywhere. A hyper beam destroyed part of a souvenir shop and a rock throw smashed various windows into bits. There were dead pokemon on the floor and two dead men in black. The only one still standing was a built black haired male with short spiky hair, who was also shouting orders.

Steven hadn't brought along his team, clearly not expecting something like this. He needed to do something. "Meta, separate as much of the pokemon as you can!" The metagross's eyes glowed a pale blue and it psychically held back several pokemon, coiling metal bars from the debris around their bodies, holding them in place. It wasn't enough to restrain all of them, but it would slow them down. As strong as his metagross was, it couldn't focus on keeping them all held down. Steven didn't know who was friend or foe. The battle continued on, causing even more damage and mayhem.

* * *

Riven groaned in pain as he lay on the glass littered floor. The impact with the window had broken the glass and his back felt like it was bludgeoned repeatedly with a mallet. He felt pain whenever he took deep breaths, indicating bruised if not cracked ribs. The adrenaline lessened the pain somewhat but it still hurt to move. The machoke would look for him soon. There was no way he could go toe to toe with it and win. It's thick muscle made his strikes useless, and it was much stronger than him. It made that man in Petalburg a weakling in comparison. One punch nearly knocked him unconscious and probably left one nasty bruise on his face. He needed to surprise it, so he decided to play linoone.

The machoke walked in through the window, its weight crunching the glass beneath. Riven judged the sound of the glass to measure where the machoke was. When the sound was at his feet, he held his breath and felt two fingers on his neck. The pokemon was checking for a pulse. This was the time to strike. Riven's eyes shot open and drew his knife from his pocket, driving it into the machoke's neck, pushing it in as far as possible. Blood spurted onto Riven's face, staining his clothes and face. The young man dragged the knife inwards to the left, tearing through the jugular vein and carotid arteries. Crimson shot out of the machoke's neck, staining the wall across from them and further coating Riven in blood.

"Ma-choke. Maaaa" It fell onto the floor, still leaking blood. Riven stood up and walked slowly out of the window, limping painfully with knife in hand. The final piece of trash stood a few feet away, eyes widening at the sight of Riven's face and blood splattered clothes.

"Machoke…how the fuck did you do that?" He couldn't believe that this guy had killed a machoke with just his hands. He was more dangerous than any little trainer, that much was certain. "I'll give you one last chance, tell me what happened in the desert." No reply came from Riven, who approached him with a slow gait. "Know what? I don't care. The only reason I came here was to kill you. That director can go fuck himself. You're mine."

Drawing a knife, he lunged at Riven, who dodged under him and slashed him in the leg before backing up, holding his ribs in pain. The assassin flinched and turned around, releasing a guttural growl at Riven. He pointed at Riven's knife. "Oh, so you have one of those too. Why don't you show me what you got then?" He lunged at him again. Adrenaline rushed into Riven's bloodstream again, lessening the pain of his ribs. Every moment felt like agony, but he endured it nonetheless. The two of them exchanged slashes and blows, trying to look for openings. The man in black managed to get a good look at the kid's face, he was smiling.

Meanwhile, the pokemon battle around the two men raged on. White Queen and Quil were fighting off a rhydon. Quil's flames were ineffective against the rock type's protective hide and Haona's ice beam was the only thing that was able to damage it significantly. But it was immensely strong. It slapped Haona with it's tail, sending her crashing into a wall.

The quilava stood in between the absol and the rhydon."Haona, are you ok?"

Her red eyes were pained but fierce. She was about to do something incredibly stupid. "Quil, go! Help Nez, he's in trouble. I'll be fine! You can't do anything here, go protect your teammate!" She didn't want him getting killed too.

"But if i leave you here you'll die."

"Go!" She growled. The quilava hesitantly agreed and scampered off, shooting flames to intercept a flamethrower from burning his teammate. Haona yelped in pain and tried to pick herself up but her legs failed her. She remained on the floor, staring at the rhydon in fear as it turned to her. It formed a sinister smile and a green elongated horn extended outward. A mega horn would kill her instantly at this point. She closed her eyes, waiting for death to come.

As it reared back to gore her, a powerful green beam blasted a hole through the rydon's center, dropping it instantly. Haona sighed in relief and watched as a flaming horse approached some distance away with a human on top. It was the gym leader they faced earlier. She thanked whatever legendaries had blessed her that day.

Steven instinctively fell to the floor as the solarbeam blew past him. He picked himself up and turned behind him, seeing Flannery approaching rapidly on her rapidash. It came to a halt next to him. Flannery stepped down, taking in the sight of the battle and gasped. There was blood and debris everywhere. "What the hell is going on here Steven?!" A battle in the middle of the square? Why?

"I don't know. I came here to pick up a stone from a contact and suddenly I'm in the middle of a warzone! I didn't bring my pokemon with me, Meta tried to restrain as many as he could but there's just too many for him alone. Flannery, we need to get them to stop fighting or there will be more casualties. I'm going to call the authorities to send some officials in, meanwhile you need to try your best to control the situation." Steven looked at the rhydon and said, "Nice shot by the way, with the solarbeam. And at high speed too, impressive."

Flannery nodded tensely. "Dash recognized that absol. It belongs to a trainer I fought earlier. He must have seen her about to get killed and used solarbeam to stop the rhydon. He has scary precision with it." She wasn't comfortable about having to use a fully powered lethal solarbeam, but gym leaders couldn't take chances, not after recent events. Getting back onto her rapidash, the gym leader left Steven's side and went to go control the situation.

Steven took out his personal phone and dialed Wallace. He picked up a few rings later.

"Ah, Stevey! What brings you to your magnificent cham-"

Steven's response cut through Wallace's playfulness like a hot knife."Lavaridge. Now." Explosions and fire could be heard in the background, unbelievably loud, it truly did sound like a warzone.

Wallace picked up the severity in Steven's voice and his playful nature vanished completely. "Steven, I hear explosions in the background. What. Is. Going. On?"

"You need to get over here _now_. Something serious is going on and Flannery is trying her best to handle it. I didn't bring my pokemon with me. Bring some regional officials and grab psychics. We need to take care of the situation before it gets any worse."

"Steven, tell me what's going on!"

"There's no time. Go get them, and make it fast." Steven hung up and could only watch as the pokemon continued to battle.

Some distance away, he saw two men fighting each other, holding knives in their hands. They were bleeding in several places. The champion's eyes widened as he realized who was fighting. It was Riven. There was a coldness in his face that he had never seen before, it was chilling to see on someone so young. Both men fought like savages, rolling on the floor while biting and slashing at each other with teeth and knives. He hoped help would get there soon.

The battle was beginning to wind down as the rest of the trainers managed to knock out several of the opposing pokemon. Although, some of those pokemon hadn't been so lucky. The gengar took a night slash from the absol and fell onto the ground, leaking ectoplasm, which pooled onto the ground. It wasn't getting back up, ever. The ninjask had also fallen, having been incinerated by Quil's flamethrower. The trainer side was in considerably far better shape, having more control due to the guidance of three trainers, as opposed to none on the enemy side.

Flannery's rapidash stopped in the center of the square where she released her camerupt, magcargo, ninetales, torkoal and arcanine. She shouted fiercely, angry beyond belief. "I am the Lavaridge gym leader and I order you to STOP!" She raised a hand and her pokemon released jets of flame that separated the pokemon with walls of fire, preventing them from getting any closer. Even the crawdaunt was hesitant. Her pokemon stood directly in between the two opposing sides, growling and glaring at them through the flickering flames. "One more step and my pokemon will not hesitate to turn you into a pile of ash." The redhead was not playing around.

Just then, several men and psychics appeared next to Steven, along with Wallace.

"Restrain them." The psychics began to restrain enemy and allied pokemon. The ones who knew hypnosis put some of them to sleep. The trainers recalled most of their pokemon after they saw the officials intervene.

Wallace pointed to some of the officials. "Erik, take some men and check the rest of the town, see if there isn't anymore criminals." The official gestured the others to follow him and they dispersed around the town, trying to calm down the residents and assess damages. The psychics stayed behind to handle the pokemon situation. Seeing the men arrive, Flannery returned her pokemon and joined the two champions.

"Wait, what about them?" Flannery pointed to the two men scuffling on the floor.

The two separated and stood up, only to clash again. The black clad man elbowed the trainer in the ribs to make him flinch in pain. Then, he kicked Riven in the fingers, he dropped the knife in pain. Throwing his own knife on the ground, the older man picked the teenager up by the shirt and began punching him in the face. He could have used the knife to kill Riven but it would have been too quick a death for him. He wanted to savor killing the boy.

"You. You son of a bitch. It's your fault he's dead. You beat him into the wall until you disfigured his face and gave him permanent brain damage. He was my fucking brother!" He placed his hands over the trainer's neck and tightened his grip. Trying his best to fight against the other man's grip, Riven tried to break the hold but couldn't, his right hand didn't help him. If he didn't do something, he was going to pass out.

"Stop them! Anyone!" Wallace commanded, speaking to the psychics.

A hypno noticed the two men and attempted to use psychic to stop them. It stopped the older man from choking the teenager, but did nothing to hamper Riven. The psychic bouncing off the trainer bewildered the hypno, who momentarily dropped the attack. Suddenly free, Riven kneed his attacker in the stomach and bent down to pick up the knife on the floor. At that moment, the authorities began to run over to them, trying to stop any of the two from doing anything more drastic. Psychic attacks didn't seem to affect the younger male. Steven froze as he saw the black haired trainer pick up the knife. His face was devoid of any mercy or hesitation and his hands weren't shaking in the slightest. The intent to kill was clear.

Steven shouted for him to stop but it was too late. Riven shoved the blade into the man's chest and twisted it slowly. He snarled in an almost feral tone,"Now you can join your brother." He pulled out the knife, flipped it in reverse and plunged it into the side of the man's skull. As the body dropped, Riven bared bloodstained teeth at the man's lifeless corpse, drowning out the muffled shouting around him. He simply stood there, watching the man's corpse until an official's manectric paralyzed him with a thunder wave and then shocked him continuosly.

Before he fell unconscious, he felt the cold metal of handcuffs against his skin.


	24. No Good Guys

Steven's head was throbbing, the cause of which was entirely obvious.

He had stayed in the hospital for a while with Wallace and Flannery but left abruptly outside after seething members of the regional council stormed into the waiting area and initiated a storm of complaints and rants. Wallace and the chair of the council exchanged scalding comments, arguing very loudly about the extent of damage outside and who was going to _pay_ for it.

Steven decided to let Wallace handle it and walked away towards the center of town, heading for the pokemon center, where he was going to pick up Riven's team. Upon actually seeing the place, he had to pause and note just how bad it actually looked. As one of the officials put it, it looked like someone unleashed a herd of rampaging tauros through the area, and set off multiple crates of dynamite while simultaneously smashing windows with a large baseball bat. Pretty accurate summation actually.

Broken pieces of debris and wood were scattered everywhere, windows were shattered, and glass littered the floor beneath them. One shop window in particular had dried blood all over the window sill and even on the glass shards both inside and outside. The interiors of some stores were charred and damaged goods from stray attacks were spilled all over the floor. Shopkeepers and employees ranted and cried, demanding explanations from the officials that were sent to calm them down. Blood remained on the floor, but the bodies were absent. Not to mention the ground had several blackened craters and kicked up dirt everywhere; the result of missed thunderbolts, flame bursts, and hyper beams.

Luckily, the center was only a few minutes away from the hospital. The only reason for going there was because of the insistence of Meta, who wanted to speak with the trainer's kirlia about psychic matters involving a certain issue with said trainer's _mental_ state. Steven would question him later, he didn't feel like doing much at the moment honestly, he just wanted to rest and forget about this. Stepping through the automatic doors, both Nurse Joy and the other trainers in the center gasped. Steven didn't care, he only asked how Riven's pokemon were doing, ignoring the gazes of all the other trainers.

Nurse Joy removed the pokeballs from the machine behind her, albeit a bit nervously. It wasn't everyday that a legendary trainer such as Steven Stone stopped in little old Lavaridge."T-they're doing fine mostly. The combusken won't be battle ready for a month, her leg is broken. And the kirlia also won't be able to battle until his shoulder fully heals. Two weeks at most, it was badly torn and mangled, it might scar over but evolution should fix it." Nurse Joy examined the former champion up and down, dubiously. "You're taking them back to their trainer, right Mr. Stone?"

Steven clenched his jaw. "Yes, I am." Nurse Joy minimized the three pokeballs and handed them to him, which he then fit into Riven's pokeball belt. He stepped outside the center and opened the kirlia's ball. "Meta, he's all yours." Steven eyed the suddenly intimidated kirlia- who appeared to be horrified- then turned to his metagross. "When you're done, teleport to me and bring him with you. I'm going to go talk to Wallace, need to find out what he and the council chair talked about." The larger psychic's eyes flashed blue, indicating he understood. Steven rubbed his face and power-walked back in the direction of the hospital.

This was going to suck more than just a little.

* * *

Riven awoke to a room that smelled like disinfectant and was colored much too white for his liking. The constant beeping of machines made his head pound something fierce. He tried to sit up, only to groan when his sides stung sharply. "Hospital. Again." He figured a couple broken ribs weren't too bad until he realized he couldn't close his right hand. He lifted it out from under his blanket to see it covered in a mitt, which meant broken wrist and fingers. The string of curses and angry grunts woke up Will, who was snoozing in the chair across from Riven's bed.

"You're finally awake, dumbass," he said, rubbing sleepiness out of his eyes.

Riven stared back at him, lost. "Will. Why are you here? And how long have I been out? Where are my pokemon? Tell me!" He tried grabbing Will but the mitt just made it look quite ridiculous, he frowned when he couldn't even grab the hem of his shirt. The effect fell flat really quickly.

Will slapped the mitt away. "Calm down, your pokemon are ok. Steven went to go get them. He'll be back soon, he's talking to the champion right now. _The_ champion. Can you believe that? Wallace! Actually, lots of big fishes came here. There was a bunch of screaming and now there's officials literally _everywhere._" As Will said that, men marched past the door, manectric following them closely behind. A zangoose with deadly looking claws passed by, making Riven glad he wasn't at the receiving end of those. "As for how long you've been out, only a couple hours. It's not that bad actually, and the chips downstairs are-"

"Whoa, slow down. Why are you here anyway? It's night time now, shouldn't you be in the center?" The kid started shifting his eyes around the room at the mention of pokemon center. Riven grinned wryly. "I _know_ that look."

"What look?" Will tried his best to don a neutral expression but was much worse at it than Riven, who was a master of the iron mask of death glares. After all, there was a _reason_ people challenged Will and not his traveling partner, despite being around the same level.

"That one." He pointed the ridiculous mitt at Will's face, which was currently a mix of _oh-shit_ and _I-screwed-up-badly_. "That was my face when Nurse Joy manhandled me back in Dewford for falling through a cave and trying to play it off. She shook me until I spilled it, then dumped rubbing alcohol all over my arms. What did you _do_?"

Will's face flushed and matched the color of his eyes. "N-nothing! Nothing much…" Riven was smirking while raising a brow, waiting for the kid to spill the beans. "Ok, maybe I did something. Well, not me but you know…"

"The infamous quilava struck again didn't he." He should've known. When in doubt, blame the pyromaniac, it never _didn't_ work. Fool proof scapegoat. Those were always fun.

Will slumped into his chair in defeat. "He tried to show off to Rika." It was a seemingly _harmless_ display of fire, barring the fact that the very same _harmless_ lick of flame kept going, hit the carpet and well…it didn't exactly agree with it. Neither did everything else in the room, apparently.

Riven made an explosion noise with his mouth, lifting his arms, mimicking rising smoke. He snickered but quickly learned why it was a bad idea. "Ah, ribs. Laughing. Bad." As the snickers settled down, he asked, "What did he set on fire _this_ time?"

"The carpet, then the beds. Smoke detectors went off and Nurse Joy came running in. She nearly shouted me into the floor until a chansey slapped Quil and chased me out." The kid took off his hat and scratched his head in embarrassment.

The older trainer started into hysterical laughter, which proved to be torture for his ribs. "Stop making me laugh, you're destroying my ribs here," he said, holding his sides.

"It's not my fault you find other people's bad luck hilarious, even though yours is probably the worst."

"I guess not, but the irony is the best part." Riven looked up at the white ceiling, counting the little square patterns. One was a random triangle. It made his eye twitch, whoever did that deserved to burn. He tore his sight away from the little abomination, it would drive him insane if he looked at it any longer. "So you got kicked from the center and are leeching off my hospital stay?"

"Is there another way to say that I pretended to be your brother again so I could sleep in here?"

The little bastard."Keep lying like that and it's going to bite you in the ass," Riven warned.

"Says the one who gives fake names to everyone." Riven sputtered and couldn't think of a retort, so he spouted random gibberish under his breath instead. The little boy grinned devilishly, leaning back on his chair. "But the seats aren't comfortable, they make my back ache."

"This bed isn't comfortable either." Well, at least it wasn't a park bench. That had made his back ache for days, sometimes it still did. _Not eager to try that again_. The floor was more comfortable than that bench.

"You can get up already, but you might as well stay, since it's dark out. And I know you don't want to stay here any longer, no one does. Hospitals suck, you're either sick, hurt, dying or dead."

"Yeah."

They talked about a few pointless things before Riven decided to ask about the more…serious matters. "Will, what happened, you know…after?" The older teen was certainly curious, the last thing he felt was being handcuffed, yet he wasn't. He couldn't help but wonder _why_. Not that being handcuffed appealed to him in any sort of way but still, it made a guy wonder.

"Officials came in and locked the place down, cuffed you then threw you in the hospital once the doctors found out you had broken ribs. Right now though, most of the trainers are still stuck in the center. They haven't notified the media yet either. And I hope they don't, all they do is just cause more problems. This made the big guys freak, that's pretty serious if you ask me," Will explained.

Riven's face returned to its normal expression as he thought about what Will said. "What about us?" The officials had to say _something_ about the trainers involved.

"I don't know. They didn't throw you in jail so I think you might be good. As for the rest of us, I guess we'll see?"

Two hours later, the door opened and Steven entered, along with Riven's pokemon. White Queen went up to him and bit his mitt, a sign of affection perhaps. He scratched her head and she closed her eyes, obviously enjoying the attention. "Spoiled girl." Then he looked down at his kirlia. He had a bandage wrapped over his left shoulder but otherwise was still his grinning little self. Although, when he saw Aine limp into the room, he nearly freaked. "Aine! What happened to you? How did…"

"Her leg is broken. She'll be fine in a month," Steven answered, oddly cold. What bit him in the ass? Riven returned them all after receiving his belt from him. He glanced to the side where Will was pretty much frothing at the mouth.

Will was a nervous wreck, he couldn't form words in front of the former champion. Steven was his damn idol, since before he was a trainer and now the boy was shaking like a leaf, unable to say anything. But Steven paid no attention to him, only staring at Riven in what seemed like contempt. He tossed a small black stone to him, who caught it with his left hand.

"Where's the stone?"

"Which one?"

"The blue one you talked about."

"Bag." Riven pointed to the trainer bag on a table in the corner of the room.

Steven put on his gloves and walked over to the bag, picking up the sphere and placing it in a pouch in his own. He didn't leave, however, staying firmly in place. Riven noticed the venomous look Steven was giving him. "What do you want to tell me, Stone? You've been staring at me like that since you came in."

Steven turned to Will, eyes softening for the boy. "Can you step out? I need to speak with him in private." The little boy nodded and was about to step out when Riven held him back with his mitt.

"He stays here. If it's about what happened, I want him to listen too. Don't pretend he wasn't involved." People always treated children like they shouldn't hear what they were talking about. His parents did it all the time, it pissed him off. Because of that very reason, he had no idea what the hell was happening to him, no one ever told him _anything_. This was not going to happen to Will too.

"Fine. But he won't like it," Steven replied. His eyes narrowed, leveling a _vicious_ glare at Riven. "You. Are. Unbelievably. _Fucking_. Stupid."

"Why is that?" Riven questioned, unable to see why what he did was stupid.

Steven's voice rose in anger, "Why? You attacked three men out on the street in a public area and started a god damned brawl in the middle of town!" He threw his hands up in the air. "Not only that but do you have _any conceivable idea_ how much property damage that little fiasco caused? Hundreds of thousands! Four destroyed shops, six pulverized homes, and eleven other damaged buildings, not including goods!"

"You're getting upset over some structural damage?" It seemed like something so trivial. Things got destroyed. So what? Just build it again. Buildings could be replaced, lives not so much.

"Yes! Do you have to pay for repairs? No! Trainers never do! That's why we _specifically_ banned pokemon battles in public squares and plazas! Every single time one of you irresponsible idiots destroys a building, the league has to pay it back because trainers _can't!"_

Riven's brow furrowed._"_Why do you care? You're not part of the league, you're the CEO of a company. You have no obligation to care about the government's problems." Steven was in no position to lecture him, he wasn't an official.

"But I was a champion once! I know what it's like. And having the council breathing down your neck is _never_ a pleasant experience. Wallace is knee deep in problems with them as it is, if this got out to the public, his approval rating would plummet. All because one trainer decided he would take the law into his own hands! It's a _huge_ problem."

Riven shot a glare of his own at him. "What did you want me to do? Stay there and let them come kill me? Oh, because that certainly works out for everyone right? Forget about trainers dying! But heavens forbid some buildings get destroyed!" He spat furiously.

"You could have called someone for help!"

"Call _who_? Flannery? There are no police forces in Lavaridge. If I did call her, then they'd kill her! Then when the officials finally do come and rescue me, I wouldn't be able to live myself! She's one girl, how could I sacrifice her life for mine? I don't want people to die for me Steven."

This got Steven even more enraged. "Because you're _so_ afraid of people dying, is that it? YOU KILLED THREE MEN WITHOUT BLINKING!" He roared, recalling the sight of the bodies being carried off by the officials. "What the hell were _you_ thinking?! That you'd kill three men and things will be nice and peachy again? There are rules, Riven. You follow them. That's how society works. You better get used to it, jail isn't a nice experience for _anyone_."

Riven released a low snarl. "Look, I took care of the problem. I was _there, _the officials were_ not_. If I didn't, they would have killed more people, innocent people Steven. I did what I had to do to minimize casualties and eliminate the enemy." _You don't bargain with criminals. You get rid of them._

"Don't talk like a soldier because _you're not_, you're a trainer!"

_If only you knew,_ Riven thought, fiercely holding back a wry smirk. The irony of the situation nearly made him burst into hysteric laughter.

"Trainers aren't supposed to kill people damn it! That's the very reason why Sinnoh is such a god damned mess right now! Because a trainer went insane and threw the region into chaos!" The fervor of support for him was _still _incredibly strong, both in Sinnoh and from recent reports, Unova as well. They had been agitating officials everywhere and instilling paranoia in more regions than just those two. He didn't want to think about the incident in Mossdeep.

"I don't give a flying shit what happens in other regions, that's their problem. Besides, the criminals deserved it. Or did you forget about the two trainers who got turned into human firewood? Did they deserve to die? Lives cut short by walking pieces of fecal matter? No. I wasn't going to let them get away with it, I made them _pay_." His ribs prevented him from getting up and driving his mitt into the blue haired asshole's face. _You're lucky I can't smash your face into a table this time, _Riven thought darkly. _I've seen too many die in front of me, I don't want to see more. _

Will was surprised they weren't beating each other's faces in yet. They looked about ready to. Doctors were standing outside the door, trying to see what the commotion was about. Some officials had also gathered around the door, he motioned for them to go away.

"Two wrongs don't make a right. In fact, all you did was make things worse. By involving your friend and two other trainers, you could have had all of your trainers licenses revoked. Then the league would confiscate all of your pokemon, possibly even put them down. Would you like that?"

"What."...That wouldn't be just.

"What would your friend do if because of you, they took his quilava and banned him from training? Or that other boy's swampert? A pokemon he's been traveling with for more than five years? His best friend? Oh, but you didn't think about that did you? Of course not."

His fists clenched, nearly cutting off circulation. "As for your pokemon, where do I start? You just left them to fight while you took your 'justice'. If it weren't for Will or the two other trainers there, your entire team would be dead! Do you love your pokemon? Then take care of them! Your combusken nearly died being electrocuted and your kirlia almost bled to death. Your absol was about to get megahorned by a rhydon had Flannery's rapidash not saved her. It's good that you fight with your pokemon, but it isn't ok to abandon them. EVER! You fight as a team, that's what being a trainer is about."

Riven remembered Aine's limp and his anger evaporated away like water. A massive wave of guilt slapped him in the face.

"You were fortunate you had at least four badges and had the right to use lethal force, otherwise you'd have had all of your licenses revoked _immediately_." As Steven said that, he swept his gaze over to Will, who was still shaking like a leaf in the wind. "But with the amount of destruction caused, Wallace-_the champion_- had to go out of his way to calm the council down and treat this as a _trainer issue_, that way every trainer involved doesn't get tossed into jail for destruction of property. Believe me when I tell you that the council has no qualms about throwing trainers in jail, they _love_ doing it. The fact that the dead men were part of a terrorist organization certainly helped your case too, you narrowly escaped with your licenses intact," Steven hissed. "But make no mistake. Next time, if there is a next time, Wallace isn't pulling any favors. The collateral damage that you and the rest of those trainers caused is going to take hundreds of thousands in tax payer money to repair. They _won't_ be happy about that. It might possibly take weeks if not months to fully smoothen all the ruffled feathers you inadvertently dragged through a political sandstorm along with you. The league has enough problems as of now. _Don't. Add. More_."

Will backed up, even if he wasn't the champion anymore, Steven was still intimidating. He knew about his pokemons' power, they fought the magmas and aquas when they still had control of the region.

Riven was about to speak but Steven continued, tone capable of slicing through steel. "If this happens again, before you do anything _stupid_, think about the damage you can cause to others. If it's just you, do whatever the hell you want, but if someone else is involved, _think_." He left for the door. "If I find anything interesting, I'll notify you. And if I were you, I'd get out of Lavaridge, in case they come back for a round two." The door slammed shut with a loud thud, sending vibrations along the walls.

Riven lay motionless in his bed, thinking about the world. Tears of frustration leaked out of his eyes, silent and angry.

Will noticed a droplet travel down Riven's cheek. "You alright?"

"…No." Nearly a growl, not quite human. After a verbal thrashing like that, who would be 'alright'?

Will didn't know what to say. What Steven said…wouldn't be easy for anyone to swallow. Much less after finding out that they were the reason their pokemon nearly died. "Hey, I know what he said was harsh but no one else is blaming you for what you did. They were bad guys right? You did it because you wanted to save lives. You're a good guy."

Riven looked back at the little boy, whose red eyes were so big and wide. Innocence. He smiled lightly and pulled the boy's hat down, shielding his eyes. "There are no good guys," he said sullenly.

A glint of crimson flashed.

_And I'd never be one of them_._ Not here, not anywhere._

* * *

The following week, the gym leaders had convened in Lilycove, unanimously agreeing to skip the introductions and precedings in order to get down to matters of dire importance. Every single one of the gym leaders was in an uproar after hearing what happened in Lavaridge. The sight of a very shaken Flannery didn't help. Wallace had difficulty controlling the order of the room as gym leaders argued over what to do.

"Everyone. Calm. Down. Right. NOW!" Wallace yelled, slamming both fists down on the round table they were all currently sitting at, unusual aggression startling the others. The bickering stopped and the noise died down as people returned to their seats. "Now that everyone is quiet, we will talk about this like civilized people, not savages who yell and argue like fools. We are not the council, we are better than this. And as such, we will begin the first order of business. Anyone who wishes to speak will raise a hand and will be allowed to speak _uninterrupted_ until done," Wallace decreed, trying his best to prevent the discussion from being ruined by unruly behavior.

Winona was the first to raise a hand. Wallace nodded and acknowledged her. "I want to know what everyone else here wants to know. What happened in Lavaridge?" The other gym leaders exchanged nods of agreement.

"I can answer that," said a familiar voice as a figure walked into the room.

Everyone in the room turned to see who it was and saw the former champion walk in. Glacia's eyebrows climbed up to her hairline. "Wallace, he's not a gym leader you know that's not allo-"

"I do. And I will allow it if I please. He was a champion before and knows how this works. Steven also has more information about what happened than any of us and Flannery is a little too shaken at the moment. He's the reason we even got word of this, and prevented anything worse from happening." Steven sat beside him and was given the approval to speak.

Steven looked around the table, everyone was paying attention- usually, there would be people sleeping or bored out of their wits. Not this time. He moistened his lips and cleared his throat. "I'm going to tell you the general gist of it." He waited a moment. "What occurred in Lavaridge was a small scale skirmish that quickly devolved into a ruthless deathmatch between trainers and six men of unknown affiliation. Three of those men and several of their pokemon were killed. And substantial damage was done to the surrounding area, an incredible amount, judging by damage estimates. The council is furious, as you all know."

Brawly stood up. "But how did this happen man? Why Lavaridge and poor Flan? It doesn't have anything to harass, it's just like Dewford. It doesn't make any sense dude!" He punched the table, then breathed heavily, trying to keep his cool. Wallace mouthed for him to cool it, spreading his hands downward. The muscular surfer sat back down.

Steven held up a hand. "I know. Part of the reason this got so out of hand was the lack of any official presence in the area. If I hadn't stumbled into the town on business, who knows what would have happened. Flannery couldn't take them by herself. They had fully evolved pokemon, and many of them. Some of which were water, ground, and rock types."

Tate intervened. "Steven, we've _tried_ placing officials in Lavaridge and Dewford, but the council keeps vetoing the bills. We've been trying really hard but nothing gets through, it happens every single time. We just end up at square one every time we attempt it." Every gym leader huffed in response. They knew it was only a matter of time before places like Lavaridge, Dewford or any of the smaller towns got hit.

"Yes, that's true. From what Wallace has told me, gridlock has been the status quo within the regional government for a few months now. However, Lavaridge has been filled with officials, so things like that shouldn't occur again. For a while at least." It was no reassurance but it would help lessen the worry and hopefully provide some comfort for Flannery.

"But _why _did it happen? What would criminals gain from attacking random trainers in a small town like that?" Juan asked. Wallace's former mentor paid very fine attention to detail due to being an established coordinator, and things just didn't add up."Were they just thieves? Or?"

"They wore identical black clothes, and used ambush tactics, definitely not run of the mill scum," Wallace said, fully aware of what he was implying.

Everyone sucked in a breath, except for Norman, face grave. "Are you saying that we might have another team on our hands?" Roxanne inquired in disbelief. Half the room had the exact same expression.

"There's a high possibility," Steven mentioned. "After the Aquas and Magmas, it's understandable how much we _don't_ want that part of history to repeat itself. They almost succeeded, had Brendan not convinced Rayquaza to help." Even then, it took a legendary whose wild behavior was known to all. It was a gamble to go to the sky pillar and seek its help, the boy risked a lot to save Hoenn, something everyone was grateful for. But the point was that the darkest hour had come for the region, and all seemed lost- until a green dragon descended from the sky and stopped the fighting. "We can't turn to the legendaries to solve our problems," Steven concluded.

Norman stood up, leaning on his cane. Everyone grew silent. "What was it they attacked?" He had lost considerable weight after his hospital stay and would depend on that cane for quite some time until he fully recovered. The cane still made the other leaders uncomfortable.

"You remember the two who came out on tv a week or so ago? The ones who survived the desert?" Steven reminded.

Everyone agreed, they had all seen the two boys, both of whom were sunburned and rough from the desert trek. "Yeah man, they looked like they got rolled around in a sand pit and left out to dry in the sun," Brawly described.

"But why attack two trainers randomly like that? Publicity? Making a statement by assaulting two people who appeared on television? What would they accomplish, this is highly erratic and very confusing."

Wattson scratched his beard. "No, Juan. I think it may be something else." Winona asked him to elaborate. "Well, around the same time they escaped the desert, some blue lights were seen hundreds of feet into the sky from Mauville. I was coming back from lunch when I saw them. They were coming from deep within the desert, I know that much."

"They were involved with those strange lights is what you're saying," Roxanne deduced.

"Maybe, I don't know. But I'm pretty sure riding vibravas out of the desert makes for a good myth but a poor truth. They got out _somehow_. No pokemon can make those lights, and there isn't anything out there but cacturne and sand." The jolly old man's infectious laugh was wholly absent today.

"Or so we think." Norman sat back down, tapping his cane lightly against the table. "There may be something hidden out there. Something they found in the desert that the supposed 'team' wanted information on. Badly. I think the Petalburg incident and this one are very much related." The room was deathly silent. Even Brawly and Wattson, the most rowdy of the gym leaders, were speechless. A cold chill ran down their spines.

"What makes you say that, Norman?" Wallace asked, breaking the uncomfortable silence.

"When they attacked my daughter, the guard who saved her told her to keep the prize jewel safe. He didn't mention why. Two weeks later, someone broke into our house, left a large sum of money and a note. It said, 'we took the jewel, sorry for inconvenience'. I suspect that was what they were after. But it wasn't the same guys who tried to kill her. Third party perhaps."

"So you think they found something of the sort? Like some kind of artifact?"The desert was highly untouched, due to its treacherous landscape and sudden onset of sandstorms, either natural or as a result of wild Flygon. Maybe there were other ruins in the desert, apart from regirock's tomb. They'd have to search later.

Steven froze as bits and pieces came together, remembering Riven's vague words. _Didn't think much of it but after what happened in the _desert_, let's just say it does a lot more than glow._ The blue sphere. The one he had given him. It was back in the lab- he had to examine it more closely than he imagined, it could hold secrets to something much more powerful. But he said he found it in Dewford, not the desert, so it couldn't be that. Could it?

Sidney took a chance to speak, the elite four mainly sat back in most of the meetings but this time he couldn't. "Who are these guys? Even if the boys did find something in the desert, the grunts can't possibly know it now. They all got captured or killed. They messed with the wrong trainers, which means, they'll probably switch tactics rather than try it again if they possess half a brain. Else they're a bunch of idiots." He turned to Steven, "They didn't get a lock on them did they? If they did, we need to get a psychic to break it quick."

_Not on Riven at least_, Steven thought. His metagross had spoken to him about some peculiarities about the boy, notably the resistance to psychic influence. He heard some people naturally resisted psy-locks, but he never actually thought it would be true. "The men had no psychic pokemon, and all of the others were apprehended. It isn't possible."

"That doesn't mean there weren't others," said Drake, the strongest of the elite four. "I assume these men aren't like the other teams. Otherwise we wouldn't be having this discussion. They're organized and far from stupid."

Steven nodded. "Yes. I touched upon this with Professor Birch following the Petalburg news report. These men are much more ruthless than the Magmas and Aquas on an _individual scale_. They latter tended to use scare tactics and theft to get what they wanted. These guys though…much worse."

Brawly was confused. "But didn't the other teams get taken down by a single kid? Shouldn't be super hard to mop these guys up then."

"Yes, but that's the problem. The other teams didn't specifically resort to killing trainers. These men are much more pragmatic than the others, and that's what's frightening. Think about it. If a gun killed said trainer- which it could easily do- would the Magmas and Aquas have failed? Team Plasma? Team Galactic? Team Flare? They target trainers because they don't want their plans getting ruined, they aren't interested in battles or worthy opponents. Also, they aren't uniformed for convenience, they had no special type of clothing. Many people wear black. It's hard to fight the enemy when you don't know who they are."

Steven's point was very solid. The other teams had many chances to kill the innocent young trainers, but they didn't. Because they didn't _want_ to. The teams had gathered men and women under a philosophy. Suddenly, the reason why one child was able to do so much made a painful amount of sense. They fought young idealists that had never killed anyone in their lives, very much just newly recruited trainers. People like them.

Team plasma was a perfect example. Their leader was a complete and total bastard but their grunts weren't as fanatical as him. Their initial philosophy was still being followed by a non violent Team Plasma group in Unova. At their best they were people who fought for ethical complaints inherent in the trainer environment. At their worst, they were...well, monsters. The higher up the totem pole, the more messed up things got.

"Do we have a name, at least?" Winona asked, worry evident in her features.

"Singularity," Norman said, drawing the attention of every person in the room. "That's what they're called."

"How do you know that?" Liza questioned. He wasn't in with them was he? Couldn't be, Norman was much too uptight for that.

"Because some time after the incident, men from that very organization broke into the Office of Contests and Events, killed three people and brutally assaulted Malcomn Van. They called themselves 'The Singularity'. The police told me about it after I recovered. The men they captured had _colorful_ criminal pasts, including but not limited to poaching, murder, and assault. Some of their ledgers gushed enough red to paint entire walls with," he revealed, confirming the group's fears.

Winona swallowed. "If these men are as dangerous as you make them out to be, what can we do?"

Flannery's hopeless look made Wallace's next words hit even harder. "Nothing yet. We don't know what they want or where they operate. The best you can do is protect your areas. The officials have to take care of the rest. I'll order some men to be dispatched to protect the towns that don't have high populations, I don't care if I have to start punching council members to do it. I _will_ get the security we need."

Winona wasn't convinced. "Wallace, the officials are being swamped with reports of wild pokemon attacks everywhere. Many rangers have been killed, we can't depend on them, especially not with the stronger pokemon. The most recent attack was in Fallarbor, a skarmory. Apparently two trainers stopped it but not without it managing to murder three people." Steven winced at the mention of a skarmory.

"I know, I've been quelling angry pokemon more than I've been battling challengers. We had to put down that tyranitar near route 112 and several ariados near Fortree. We're busy enough as it is with these random wild pokemon attacks and disasters." The regular appearances and sightings of the rare mountain absols was very disconcerting. Seeing just one was enough to set a person on edge. Fortree had seen _five_ of them in the last six months, all followed by vicious pokemon attacks, freak lightning storms, and floods. Coincidence? Highly unlikely.

There was also the trainer rampages. The officials killed two trainers who claimed to be 'true trainers' and started attacking people in Mossdeep a few months ago. Both were highly experienced trainers with eight badges; electric types were called in to subdue them immediately. They wasted no time in using lethal charge beams to take them out. It pained Wallace because he knew that such a hasty order wouldn't come without repercussions, and boy did the trainer support groups have a field day with that. They neglected to comment on why deadly force was authorized, not wanting the region to think that Sinnoh's problems had spread. Mass hysteria was preferable _never_.

Wallace's migraine seemed progressively worse now, he clapped two hands together after finally getting fed up. "Well, that concludes today's discussion. You know what time to meet up again tomorrow, we'll continue this then, I'm sure all of you have a whopping headache and just want to relax. I certainly do, now shoo." The gym leaders stood up to leave. Winona and Flannery left first, the former no doubt trying to talk to the redhead, who looked out of it the entire meeting. Brawly, Wattson and Sidney bickered about something while Tat and Liza walked alongside each other, speaking to Juan. The remaining three elite four members and Roxanne gave Wallace a nod and took their leave as well. The room emptied quickly until only Steven and Wallace remained seated.

"Frustrating isn't it," the champion muttered, placing a hand on Steven's shoulder.

Blue eyes met exhausted green."You're not talking about me, are you?"

Wallace sighed wearily, looking down at the floor. "No, I'm not." These were troubled times indeed, but he couldn't quit now. "It's just so much to take in. I don't know how I'm supposed to handle it. I try to act cheery while my brain is tearing itself to pieces, Steven. I can't take much more of this, the government's inability to do anything at the moment without tripping over itself is making the region worse. I just hope we can get a break until some of this gets sorted out." He reclined on the chair, closing his eyes for a moment.

"This is the league's responsibility. I'll try my best to help you, I don't want more Magmas or Aquas running around in Hoenn again. No one does. We just have to see how this plays out. I don't expect a magical trainer to appear and save the day. I want to do something this time and prevent another disaster."

Wallace nodded ruefully. "Same here. You going to return tomorrow?"

Steven shook his head. "No. I need to go to a cave near Littleroot, there's something there that should prove to be very interesting. And I also need to examine a stone one of my err...contacts gave me."

The champion snorted, what did he expect? "You and your rocks. Sure, have fun with your weird hobby while I die slowly in here. Some hardcore _I-got-your-back_ going on there."

"Sorry," Steven apologized, feeling a little guilty for bailing on his friend.

Wallace shook his head, smiling. "Don't worry about it. You're not part of the league anyway, remember? You aren't forced to be here." He stood up, waved a hand and walked out the door. "Good luck cave exploring Stevey! I'm going to go take a nice long nap!" Wallace's voice echoed in.

The door closed, leaving the stone collector alone. Steven stood up and summoned his metagross. The blue psychic materialized and anchored himself on the ground, giving his trainer a quizzical stare. "Meta, take me to Devon. I need to gather some things, then we head to Littleroot. We need to see that cave."

A pink flash and he was gone.


End file.
